


Before the Storm

by Cieleniti



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: AU, Aura - Freeform, Friendship, Platonic Relationships, Post-Apocalypse, Supernatural Abilities, War, powers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-13
Updated: 2020-09-15
Packaged: 2021-02-26 16:14:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 16
Words: 54,826
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21781075
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cieleniti/pseuds/Cieleniti
Summary: Set during a post-apocalyptic war, the government is intent on gathering youths with altered genes into facilities in an attempt to turn them into unstoppable soldiers of war.All Lee Taeyong wants is to keep his little brother, Donghyuck, safe and away from the government who takes particular interest in Donghyucks ability. They survive alone until they stumble upon a group of teens who are just as desperate as they are. Now allied, they set a plan to free the rest of the youths before chaos ensues.((Completed))((Alternate Ending updated))
Relationships: Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun/Kim Dongyoung | Doyoung/Lee Taeyong, Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee, Park Jisung/Zhong Chen Le
Comments: 80
Kudos: 339





	1. Survival

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah, so this is gonna be a chaptered fanfic! This fic will be a challenge for me so the future of this fic depends on the support I get. Happy reading!

Taeyongs eyes fluttered open as he felt the warm body beside him shift. Sunlight had started stretching across the sky, threatening to expose their hiding place under piles of rubble forming into a small cave-like shelter. The drowsiness of wake was pushed away quickly as Tayeong hurried to gather their belongings. Gently, he nudged the small pile under their shared sleeping bag which let out a small sigh in response. 

As much as he wanted his little brother, Donghyuck, to sleep his fatigue away, they couldn't risk it. Not with the Predators roaming around with the Guards adding to their numbers. Predators were unaffected adults who gained money from the government upon handing in an Infected child. Of course, the government had Guards who were less than willing to hunt them down, but they figured the faster the better.

The apocalypse had altered their genes, causing their brains to react to the sudden radiation from whatever outer space stuff happened (they never bothered to know). The adults survived as they had fully matured brains but not all kids did. Many of the kids were wiped out and the ones remaining had side affects from being Infected. Those side affects made them do extraordinary things, things that the government would do anything to exploit as the wars among countries grew more fiercer as life supplies decreased.

Taeyong and Donghyuck had been in one of the facilities once and it hadn't been a good time. In fact, they wanted to erase anything that ever related to their time there.

_Make him do it, Taeyong. You're the only one who can._

_I can't, he's not that kind of person._

_Then I'll just have to kil you then-_

_Wait!_

Donghyuck placed a steady hand on Taeyongs arm, eyes filled with worry as the elder brother shook with trauma. Their past was too much for his mind to handle which resulted in memory loss and sudden flashbacks. All of this had made their journey rougher as they tried to survive as long as they could. Donghyuck tapped the back of his hand, a sign for him to look his way.

 _I'm here. Don't worry._ He signed with his small rough hands,scabbed and littered with cuts. 

Donghyuck had gradually lost his hearing until he reached his early teen years. They depended on sign language to communicate most of the time, which proved handy when they were in situations where they had to communicate silently. However, Donghyuck did not hear the bombs, nor the bullets, nor the sounds of boots against the floor. He was fully dependent on Taeyong when they moved about.

 _We have to move quickly_ Taeyong signed and they hurried o pack their belongings into their own bags. 

Donghyuck wiped the dirt off his knife and silently slipped it into his pocket. Taeyong had a gun sheathed into his own pocket and gun magazines carefully placed in his jacket. When the thought of killing being illegal crossed his mind, a small smile slipped onto his face. There was no way they could survive without killing someone. 

"Let's go" Taeyong mouthes, knowing Donghyuck could make out the words. They used the tip of their toes to minimize sound, ducking under protruding rocks and keeping their senses on high alertness. Adrenaline pumped through their veins as they crossed the highway, feeling utterly vulnerable at the emptiness of the road before sneaking into the forest where they could follow the road without being seen. The road often let to cities or gas stations where food was kept. 

Donghyuck clicked his tongue three times and Taeyong peered forward at the closest gas station, one they had never been to. It was rather empty but what caught Taeyongs attention was the mall beside it, standing tall despite its chapped paint.

 _How?_ was what Donghyuck mouthed as they went near. Taeyong shrugged and brought up his gun, suddenly feeling his nerves sense danger. Something was off, the place seemed out of place. Yet, something in his head told him that there were supplies they needed inside, more than they needed actually.

 _Going in_ Taeyong mouthed and Donghyuck made a fearful face, obviously disagreeing to the aspect of entering such a place. Taeyong knew that it was their last chance for supplies before they headed East where they were unfamiliar with the roads. It was a leap of faith. _Be ready_

They entered through an open window at the side of the building. It was the only way in without using the entrance. It's darkened surface was spray painted with the words "WE WILL RISE!", obviously the handiwork of a teen like they were . The mall was dark except for flickering lights. The floor had blood stains here and there, but was otherwise empty of any evidence of violence. Each shop still had enough stuff for them to be able to guess what it once bore.

Names that now meant nothing, McDonalds, Starbucks, Uniqlo, could still be read despite the signs no longer glowing neon. 

_Someone was here_ Taeyong signed and Donghyuck nodded, eyes roaming everywhere. The place wasn't big enough to have different wings, only bearing a square shape with broken down escalators and an unused lift at the side. However, Taeyongs experienced eye caught the sign of life within the remains of the mall.

The piled up clothes.

The slight scent of cleanser.

The lights were on but flickering.

Taeyong spotted the open middle of the mall where there seemed to be green pain splattered on it. When he inched forward, Donghyuck pulled him back shaking his head. Taeyong patted his arm three times before making his way to the middle once more, a perfect place for people to shoot at all four floors. However, he was less concerned about that. He was more concerned about the message written on the floor.

 **WE'RE** **A NEW GENERATION, A NEW YOUTH, A NEW SOCIETY**

He only had a second to process the words before he felt something wrap around his body and yank him sideways, right into a pile of fake crates used for decoration. Despite being made from polystyrene, Taeyong felt his arm blossom with pain from impact, although he was able to shake it away quickly. His chest heaved, struggling to fill his lungs with the breath they hand lost.

"WAIT! We're not a threat!" he yelled but the force pulled him forward, making him slide against the surface. "Hang on!"

"The last person who said that tried to kill us" a voice said and a teen with light brown hair appeared from his hiding spot in one of the shops. "Doyoung?"

"On it!" a voice replied from one of the floor above them and suddenly, the light flashed brightly, blinding him for a split second. Without a second thought, he pulled his gun out and started shooting at the voices, focusing on the sound.

"YOU DIDN'T REALIZE HE HAD A GUN?!!" a voice screamed but was cut off by a grunt. "This kid is strong! Someone help me!"

Donghyuck. They had Donghyuck and were going to hurt him,torture him, hand him back to the Guards. His mind clicked like the sound of a cocked gun. The instincts of survival he had gained from a year in teh facility came rushing back, forcing his mind to focus and his limbs to relax. In a situation like this, he had to think.

"Keep dreaming" he snarled, finally able to adjust to the light and firing at the teen who had yanked him with whatever force he was able to produce. The boy suddenly disappeared and reappeared a floor up. Figuring they weren't worth his time, Taeyong directed his focus towards the teen currently holding/choking Donghyuck by securing his neck with his arm.

"I'll kill him if you shoot" the teen threatened, eyes hard and a small smile playing on his lips. "Or you'll end up shooting him anyway. Lower your gun."

Donghyuck's lips were getting blue, eyes wide with fear and a spark or something. Taeyong inhaled a breath once he interpreted Donghyucks message, lowering his gun slightly. He had to show that he was in control, that they weren't the only ones capable of using Aura. He felt a tingle in his mind that pulled into a small strain as he activated his own Aura, feeling blood trickle down his nose. There was a feeling, like someone knocking in his mind, and he let the feeling in. Instantly, critical information he needed seeped into his mind, mixing with his memories and forming a coherent trail of thought. 

_Calm down, Taeyong...think_

"He's doing something!" the teen in front of him yelled, the teen he now knew was named Jungwoo. "What do I do?"

"Take out a gun!" a voice he realized was from Johnny called out. "Nothing is happening. Shoot him while you can!"

Taeyong snapped out of his trance, wiping the blood from his nose and mouth, looking at Jungwoo incredulously. "You're harmless..."

Jungwoo looked very confused. "What?"

"You're harmless. You won't even hurt a fly, much less a human" Taeyong replied and tucked his gun back into his pocket He was in control now. The people around him weren't as threatening as whatever they had gone through. He looked up at the teens looking down at him from the floors above. "You have ten second to make Jungwoo let go of my brother, or we'll hurt you"

"Hurt us?" A teen named Doyoung smirked. "You serious?"

Taeyong inhaled a big breath and let called out "NA JAEMIN, LEE JENO. I know where they're hiding and how to kill them in a split second. You have five seconds!"

There was a string of curses and Taeyong realized that Jungwoo was shaking, hard. He was holding Donghyuck tighter, waiting for the responses of those older than him as they started yelling at each other about the next step. Donghyuck glanced at Taeyong, eyes narrowed as he fought for breath. Time was ticking and Taeyong knew that whoever these gang of teens were, they weren't worth negotiating with.

He looked at Donghyuck in the eye and mouthed _GLOW_

Donghyuck's hands glowed yellow, making Jungwoo cry out in shock, and suddenly translucent yellow tentacle-like vines shot from the ground and shot straight at the boys. Jungwoo cried out as he was yanked away, and thrown to the middle of the mall. Taeyong ducked and went straight to Donghyuck side, watching as the teens were one by one plucked from their places and thrown to the ground where Donghyuck created translucent yellow string to tie them up. Taeyong pointed at an arcade two floors up and Donghyuck created yellow fire that successfully forced the hiding teens out, only to be grabbed by a vine and tied up with the others.

 _Anymore?_ Donghyuck mouthed and Taeyong shook his head. The vine disappeared but the string remained. 

"Seven. There's seven of them" Taeyong muttered and poked the cheek of one of them who had started crying. "Sorry for scaring you, kiddo. But your big hyungs almost killed by brother"

"You knew he was harmless" Doyoung spat out blood from between his teeth, growling. 'You knew he wouldn't lay a finger"

"If not, you would have done it" Taeyong defended heatedly. "With whatever Aura you have that made that Jaehyun guy disappear"

Jaehyun looked at him in bewilderment "How do you know my name? Are you one of them? The Predators?"

Donghyuck scoffed, obviously finding the guy ridiculous. Taeyong was surprised he could read Jaehyuns mouth when the teen was talking so fast. "Well, what do you want me to say? I got a kid who's Infected and I'm one myself. Besides, I probably have a larger sum of money over my head than yours."

Taeyong leaned forward so he was face to face with Doyoung. "And I can peek at your memories and thoughts, but only the ones that I need of course!"

Johnny sighed and shifted himself so he could look at Taeyong. "Look, we mean no harm. We simply were in high alert because we had an encounter a few days back that didn't go that well. Excuse Doyoungs behavior, he gets protective. I know we've injured you, but Jungwoo can patch you up. You can stay here-"

"Okay okay,fine. Don't dare lift a finger" Taeyong muttered and tapped Donghyucks shoulder. The youngster tilted his head and the strings disappeared into thin air. They helped them up to their feet, although rather roughly. Donghyuck immediately checked the stuff in his bag, wincing as he turned his neck.

"Jungwoo can help you" a boy named Mark said but Donghyuck did not look at him. "Hey, I'm talking to you-"

"He's deaf" Taeyong interrupted, glaring at Mark with such intensity, he felt like backing away. "He can't hear you"

They stood in awkward silence as Taeyong stared them down, daring them to judge or make a comment. Donghyuck remained oblivious to the situation and sat down, taking the stuff out of his bag to rearrange them. Quietly, Jaemin sat down to help him out along with Jeno who would do anything with his twin, honestly. Mark disappeared, only to reappear with a heater they placed in the middle. The day was getting darker and Taeyong was aware of how chilly it was getting.

The mall had various equipment including camping equipment that made it easier for them to find their own sleeping bags. Taeyong felt rather uncomfortable without Donghyucks usual body heat, suddenly feeling vulnerable. Donghyuck crawled over to his side so they were side by side, snuggling near as if he could pick off the small wisps of anxiety Taeyong felt. Doyoung grabbed the plug of the heater and it whirred to life, heating up the place.

"I'm Johnny" Johnny introduced since the atmosphere wasn't as warm as the heater. "Yuta, Doyoung, Jaehyun and I were all cooped up in our school for a few weeks. We had run there when the Guards came to our neighborhood. Most of our schoolmates headed there but the Guards figured it out and attacked the building. We made it out since Doyoung can control vehicles. We met Jeno and Jaemin later on when we stopped at a gas station. They were under the counter and it just clicked that we had to bring them along. Jeno was wounded and Jaemin had a fever but we managed to handle it with painkillers until Jungwoo showed up."

"I assume he heals" Taeyong said and received nods. "It's great you found a healer along the way"

"Not just a healer"Yuta chuckled. "A fixer. He reverses anything he touches if he tries. That's why this place looks fine and steady."

"An obvious trap" Taeyong added. "So, you met-?"

"When we encountered a gang of Predators. We can't do much since Doyoung had to drive. Yuta can only possess one person at a time and Jeno and Jaemin were still too injured to fight."

"What can you guys do?" Taeyong questioned and the two boys giggled among themselves, receiving a fond smile from Doyoung.

"Other than their telepathic link, they have the ability to shift their forms. Not only humans, but animals, objects, anything" Jungwoo pointed out rather quietly. "When I arrived, Jaehyun already had half the Predators thrown somewhere and Mark decided to help out."

"The only thing I did was push them with enough force-" Mark started but was interrupted by Jungwoo.

"Acceleration affects force. You pushed them a half a football field away." Jungwoo laughed before resuming to the story. "So I patched them up along with the van and we went on our way. We arrived here a month ago before you guys showed up. Johnny predicted someone coming but we didn't know who, so we assumed. We're terribly sorry"

"No need" Taeyong huffed. "Donghyuck and I were in a facility for a whole year"

The group of teens held their breath as Taeyong lifted his shirt to expose the 'S' burnt into his skin at his ribs, a brand he wished he could erase, but reminded him why he was running, why he was alive. 

"We couldn't stand it, so we escaped along with a few others who managed to. We've been on the run ever since." Taeyong sighed and tapped his temple. "We're trained more on using this...Aura...so we made it this far."

Yuta looked at Taeyong and then at Donghyuck who was mindlessly fiddling with a small teddy bear Mark had given him. Mark himself was looking at the boy intently, making Taeyong feel slightly uncomfortable. "What can your little brother do? He's very capable, but I don't see any side affects after he uses whatever that was."

"We call it his Glow." Taeyong said softly. He was quiet as he reminisced the hardships of seeing Donghyuck in the facility, the wild eyes of scientists who had their interest in him. It was all too much for him to remember. "The government named it Synthesis. He can create anything from his glow. Weapons, animals, people, objects and even things that don't actually exist. The only limit he has is his imagination and detail. It doesn't exert his body or anything, not even his mind. The scientists would do anything to get him back in the facilities."

Taeyong looked down as Donghyuck laid his head on his lap, unaware of the conversation. "That's why I'm going to protect him at all costs. He's the only person I have."

"We'll make sure of that" Jaehyun promised. "Together. Let's be allies."

Taeyong twirled Donghyucks strand of hair around his pinky. "Fine, but if you try to hurt us, I won't hesitate to kill you." 


	2. Run

"There's something you're not telling us" Taeyong stated, not looking up from packing some kitchen knives into his bag. 

Naturally, he had woken up before sunrise and decided to do something productive. As much as he wanted to wake Donghyuck up and take off somewhere, they were low on supplies. However, an hour of scouring in random shop had made him realize the fact that something was wrong. If he had been less observant, he wouldn't have noticed.

The heavy coats hidden in the changing rooms.

The misplaced items in different shops.

The empty bottles of cleanser in the bins.

Blood stains on the clothing rods and racks.

Whatever fight they had been through, it had been on a large scale. Jungwoo had obviously tried to hide as much damage as possible, but his power was limited. Taeyong did not intend to lose trust in their new allies, but there was a faint chill that ran through his veins that spoke of dishonesty. He had seen enough of that in the facilities.

"How did you know I wasn't your brother?" Johnny asked with a small laugh, crouching down behind Taeyong as he filled his own bag. 

The younger scoffed, rolling his eyes. "He walks on the balls of his feet, and you're way heavier than he is. You didn't deny my statement."

Taeyong turned to look at Johnny, still crouched as the elder among the two sat down with a thump. Fear and grief flashed in his eyes for a moment before it was glazed over with emptiness. It was the look of loss...one Tayeong was used to. 

"Guards had stormed in. I predicted it a minute before...enough for us to hide and hope they would claim it was a mistake and turn away" Johnny shook his bowed head. "Never happened. They had Infected with them...and one could hear our heartbeats. We were attacked from all sides."

"Infected" Taeyong whispered, mostly to himself but Johnny could hear the sadness in it. "They were successful in their experiments...I can tell it was a big fight. No causalities?"

"Us? No." Johnny replied bluntly, still lost in his head. "Captured? Yes. We lost two of our friends during the fight. They had so many Guards barging in from all floors, we didn't realize they intended to bring us out alive. They took a kid named Renjun and a guy...your age...Kun"

Johnny fell silent after that. His expression was one Tayeong often saw when he looked in the mirror. Rage, guilt for letting things happen to people they considered their responsibilities. Taeyong scooted forward and tapped his temple, a signal that he was going to peek. Johnny gave a slight nod, bracing for an impact that would never come. As easily as letting out a sigh, Taeyong slipped into his mind.

  


_"Hyung! The twins are teasing me!" a soft voice yelled from the back of the van. Johnny turned to see two birds nesting in Renjuns hair, pecking at the strands. Renjun's eyes lit up as he laughed, the map in his hands becoming slightly crumpled as he shook his head in an effort to shake them off._ __

_"Yah, that's enough kids!" Kun called and tapped the birds, making them chirp as they reverted back to their original forms. "You shouldn't make me laugh! The weather is stormy outside"_ __

  


_"Calm down" Johnny whispered as he felt the first rush of breeze against his cheek. "Kun, you have to calm down!"_   


_"HOW ON EARTH AM I SUPPOSED TO CALM DOWN!" Kun screamed and thunder clapped in the distance. The situation was getting worse. Doyoung was still driving full speed on the highway, eyes fixed on the road. Jaehyun was doing all he could to keep the van from toppling over._

_"Guards are 12 kilometers behind us" Renjun called, finger tracing the map, eyes closed as he focused. "They're speeding up"_

_Johnny pushed the window shut and grabbed Kun's shoulders. "Our location is blown. Kun...I know you're scared, but I need you to use that fear to keep us safe"_

_Kun was shaking, fear evident in the tension is his body. "How does a tornado sound?"_

_  
_

"A tracker and a weather manipulator." Taeyong said, falling back onto the ground. "They're taken?"

"If the government finds a way to manipulate Renjuns ability, its over for us. No matter where we hide, we won't be able to escape." Johnny said and stood up. "We're moving soon. I heard the facility is somewhere East. Take what you want, stay here if you please. We agreed to get them back."

"Brave of you to assume we weren't heading East either" Taeyong smirked, crossing his arms. "East is where civilization is at its best. There will be more predators, more threats but more chances of finding a place to live in. The war isn't over just yet. Besides, Donghyuck and I don't have a place to return to anyway"

"You're coming with us, thats what you're saying" Johnny tried o sound incredulous but failed, a large smile forming on his face. 

"Why not?"

The new was conveyed to the others once everyone was awake. It partially worried Taeyong since Donghyuck was not much of an extrovert. he had been homeschooled by their mother, who was a teacher. Other than that, everyone took it well, even showing a little excitement. Perhaps Doyoung was excluded. He seemed to shoot strange glances at Taeyong even though jaehyun quickly wrapped his arm around his shoulder, whispering in his ear. Wonderful.

Taeyong and Doyoung were one on a single matter, being the protective ones their small group. Taeyongs experience in packing helped them pack light with weapons hidden. The youngsters weren't too happy about leaving the safety of their mall, but Yuta was quick to suggest spray painting the place. Jaemin had ended up riding Jeno-the-horse around the mall with two spray cans in hand, Donghyuck quietly finishing his own work of art on a blank wall. Mark did not involve himself, taking the 'mission' very seriously. It was endearing to look at.

_What are you writing?_ Taeyong signed as Donghyuck picked up a green can.   


_N E O C U L T U R E T E C H N O L O G Y_ was the fast reply. _A new youth. Us._

"Guys, we're heading out soon. Grab your stuff!" Yuta called just as Donghyuck finished the last letter. Taeyong pulled him to the center of the mall as they grouped up, crouched around a map Tayeong recognized from Johnny's memories. Apparently, its appearance brought a small wave of sadness to the teens. 

"We head East. The place is less deserted and isn't hit by the war yet. Maybe internal conflicts are there, but we might get a decent place to stay." Jungwoo explained pointing to the map. "We have no vehicle, so we'll hijack a vehicle along the way."

"Isn't that illegal?" Jaemin spoke, receiving a few groans from others.

"Killing is illegal too" Jeno pointed out. There paint smeared across his cheek that Jaemin unsuccessfully tried to wipe away. "We'll follow you, hyung."

"Then it's settled" spoke Jaehyun and led the group out the back door. They gazed one last time at the mall before exiting, a sudden feeling of uneasiness washing over them. Outside still smelled of soot and ash, making the teens cough and splutter at first. They raised their masks over their mouths and noses, the wind blowing roughly. Taeyong hoped that it wouldn't alert stray dogs of their presence.

The highway seemed endless, going on and on without a stop. Johnny walked at the back, senses alert for any predictions that would come. Taeyong felt anxiety prick up in his chest whenever any of them stepped on a twig. Anything louder than his footsteps and Donghyucks made him fear his surroundings. Nine teens didn't come with soundless footsteps.

25 miles. That was how long it took for them to finally spot a gas station.

Jaemin had turned into a dagger and was sleeping in Jeno's pocket. They constantly switched with each other. More than once, Mark had accidentally left the group behind with his fast paced footsteps. He offered to carry Donghyucks bag even though the younger seemed fine. Johnny made sure the ones in front (Mainly Taeyong and Donghyuck) did not move too fast. Jaehyun had ended up levitating himself and others when they got too tired. They were exhausted, easily said.

"I see vehicles. Vans, a gas tank, cars. I think we're in a different area" Taeyong reported and ushered them to use the forest route to get there. Predators could be seen holding rifles, eyes set and face scarred. It came to Taeyong that they might be a gang.

"I'm aiming for that van" Doyoung pointed once they got a good view of the place. "I can't control the CCTV's since I'm not touching it. There are medical supplies in the store, too."

Yuta gave him a strange look. "You're saying you want us to barge in and start chaos."

"Not yet. I have a plan."

"Oh no..." Jeno and Jaemin groaned, knowing that things were going to get very complicated. Who likes complicated things? 

It took a few minutes for them to understand and for it to be signed to Donghyuck. Yuta was supported by Jungwoo as Taeyong identified the owner of the van. In an instant, he pushed his soul into the man and possessed him to go to the toilet. Jaehyun carefully pulled the gas tank to block the CCTV from catching them. Then, he pulled the van near their hiding spot. Johnny, who looked nearest to an adult, walked into the store with Doyoung to withdraw some money.

Taeyong tapped Donghyucks shoulder and the youngster hid his fear as he walked to the van and placed a hand over the keyhole. His hand glowed as yellow substance flowed from his palm and molded itself into the keyhole, pushing itself to unlcok the door.

"Hey, dude!"

Taeyong and the others tensed up as a man holding a rifle came near him. Donghyuck, however, did not hear and continued using his ability. If he came any closer, Donghyucks glowing hand would be a giveaway. His call gained teh attentions of others, making them look over at Donghyuck who was still unaware of the situation.

"Hey, I'm talking to-are you even listening?!"

"I'm going in" Taeyong said but before could act, two birds had taken flight. "Hey!"

"THE KID IS GLOWING! HE'S AN INFECTED!"

The birds swooped down and attacked them, unfazed by the bullets going off. Mark took off at full speed, running to Donghyuck and shaking him, making him understand the situation. Johnny had his own situation inside as he took out his gun, the people inside ganging up on him as Doyoung hurried to extract the money.

The car door clicked open and they scrambled inside, two birds swooping after them. Jaehyun had run out to get a good view of Johnny and Doyoung, Spreading his fingers, he created two barriers that deflected the bullets, the strain making his concentration waver.

"YUTA WAKE UP!" Taeyong screamed and quickly dragged him the moment he returned to his body. Jaehyun was struggling to maintain the barrier. "WE HAVE TO GET THEM OUT OF THERE!"

"I'M ON IT!" Mark yelled and made a run for the store. He placed his hands against the glass and vibrated them until the frequency was right and it shattered. 

"I can't hold it!" Jaehyun yelled and Jungwoo dragged him into the van as Mark ran with Doyoung and Johnny in his arms. "It's going down!"

The barrier disappeared and they ducked as bullets shot through the van. There were screams and triumph and rage and hatred. Doyoung was desperately trying to persuade the van to drive as Jungwoo kept the van in piece. 

"It's too damaged to work" Doyoung yelled in frustration. They could see the shadows of Predators coming closer. It was now or never.

"Jaehyun, envelope the van." Taeyong ordered. "Jungwoo, I need you to fix it as fast as you can. The moment you see the explosion, get is out of here, Doyoung"

"What explosion?!" a voice asked but Taeyong did not have time. They were desperate. 

He looked at Donghyuck. _Gas tank. Explode._

Donghyuck Glowed and a translucent yellow spike protruded from the ground and pierced the tank. It took a second before the explosion happened and when it did, the last thing they heard was the scream of realization before it was silenced. Flame and heat flared outwards, reaching out to them.

"DUCK!!!" Johnny screamed as Doyoung forced the van forward as it was engulfed in red flames. The temperature was unbelievably hot, almost unbearable until the van zoomed out of the wreckage and drifted onto the highway at full speed. Jaehyun collapsed forward, energy spent. Jungwoo fixed up the last of the damage and fell to his knees, eyes unfocused.

"That was awesome!" Jeno screamed and pumped his fist. "We made it"

"Amazing" Doyoung whispered as he glanced back at the wreckage. "Thank goodness we brought you guys along"

Taeyong was quiet, holding Donghyuck close. He didn't dare look back at the damage he had caused. They were out, and that was the priority. East, they had to head East.

  


  



	3. Where they are?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where are the lost ones?

“I’m gonna take my horse to the old town road-“

There was a click as Doyoung forced the radio to switch off. Johnny grumbled from somewhere at the back of the van, probably ranting about how their taste in music was as horrible as Marks jokes. Jaehyun had taken over the wheel after Doyoung collapsed, clearly tired and almost making them fall into a gutter.

“We take turns” Taeyong had stated, massaging the bridge of his nose, clearly annoyed at the way they were all lacking proper management. “Someone needs to watch out for our supplies in case we run out of food”

“I can do it, hyung!”

“No…not you Jungwoo. No offense.”

“Offense taken, hyung. I’m insulted!”

In the end, the job was taken over by Mark who was by far the most honest person in the van. The road was filled with potholes, the aftermath of what seemed to be a large fight. The world that passed around them was deserted. People roamed the streets and drove past normally, but there was the feeling of constant emptiness.

The people missed their children, and war had sapped the last of their will to live.

 _Do you think we can get them out?_ Donghyuck signed in which Taeyong replied by reminding him that they had been able to break out of the facility the last time they went. The others looked intently as the two siblings had their conversation, wishing they knew what was in their minds.

“Tell me about the facilities” Yuta said rather straight forwardly, receiving a gentle pinch from Johnny as Taeyong obviously flinched at the memory. “Sorry…I just want to know what goes on there”

“He’s worried about Kun and Renjun” Jeno supplied helpfully, raking his fingers through his hair. Jaemin nuzzled close to him. “We know that they’re really strong and all-“

“-but we’re still vague about the whole facility system. We’ve never entered and all.”

Donghyuck managed to pick up on the conversation and held Taeyongs hand tightly. When they made eye contact, it was as if a silent message passed between the two of them. 

The rumbling of the engine stopped and Jaehyun stepped out of the drivers’ seat, pushing himself to the back so that he could hear the story, too. Night had enveloped them like a shroud of darkness, and Doyoung was there with a small heater to scare away the coldness.

“It’s…difficult” Taeyong started but broke off, taking in slow steady breaths. Donghyuck was still gripping him tightly, and Taeyong cursed the fact that it was his brother that was deaf and not him. Despite what he let them see, he knew that deep inside, he was dealing with the trauma badly.

“You don’t need to tell if you don’t want” Doyoung said with surprising softness. “It’s none of our business-“

“Hang on, I got it” Taeyong said, in which he had got hold of the traumatic memories and was currently suppressing them as best as he could. “I got them under control.”

The van was silent, letting Taeyong calm himself down.

“First of all…they’ll ask what you can do. They’ll run tests measure how well you can control it. But…they’ll torture you to your limit in order to find out.”

_“I swear to God…I have no idea how I do it.” Taeyong pleaded as he banged against the door. The room was getting hotter by the minute. He was sweating hard and so were the other dozen people in the room, all whom were unconscious._

_“I told you, boy” the demanding voice from the speaker boomed. “One of them remembered the code for the lock. NOW WHICH ONE IS IT!”_

_‘”I DON’T KNOW!”_

“Taeyong?” Johnny whispered, inching forward.

“I’m here, I’m here” Taeyong replied quickly, gripping Donghyucks arm tight in order to ground himself. “They’ll force into dorms based on your personality. Passive, Aggressive…then there’s a color code that that shows your ability type. There’s black for dangerous, gold for evolutional and white for neutral.”

“What does that mean?” Jeno questioned and there was a pause as Taeyong recounted the memories he had hid for so long.

“If you’re dangerous, you are going to be part of the war. Missions and stuff are given to the black Infected-“

“That actually sounds raci-“

“Shut up Mark”

Taeyong cleared his throat. “Right…the Blacks are all strictly trained physically and all. The Gold ones focus mainly on expanding their ability in order to rebuild the world. Stuff like growing plants and fixing stuff-“

Jungwoo choked silently.

“-and even pulling stuff from underground are considered gold. Some of them fit in Black, too, but sometimes there are people with the same ability, so they split. Whites are the ones that do not leave the facility and are simply kept for testing.”

“Testing?” Doyoung repeated, leaning in.

Taeyong sighed. “Testing…to create serums that may enhance abilities, or to be placed in tranquilizer darts to take out enemies easier. They are treated with no worth…but there are only a few of them.”

Johnny looked confused. “What kind of abilities are Whites?”

“Mutated physically with no abilities. Born with physical disabilities. Those who are mentally unstable to be of use.” Taeyong shrugged. “Your friends will either be Black or Gold. If they can trick the scientists that they are still incompetent with their ability…they can avoid the brainwashing system long enough for us to break them out.”

A shudder passed through the van at the ‘brainwash system’.

_"Don't you think he's a White?"_

_"No way...that ability is useful in combat"_

_"But he can't hear. What use is that?"_

_"He can bring change! Use your head for once!"_

_"He only listens to his brother."_

_"Then we must not separate them!"_

_"Then he must be trained as a Black."_

_"I agree...we cannot afford to lose any of them"_

“I’m not going to lie. The technology they managed to create thanks to some of the technopaths they have is insane. The brainwash takes time, and you might not even be aware they are doing it until you forget that the facility is no home of yours and that you’re blindly following orders for a reason you don’t know. It’s scary…but we can break them out in time.”

Jungwoo shifted uncomfortably, snuggling between Yuta and Jaehyun . The thought of losing the two boys they had thought of as family was too painful for them to even consider. 

“How long do we have, minimum.” Johnny asked.

“Two weeks” Taeyong said and there was finality in his voice. There would be no more questions for the night. He shifted himself back into his sleeping bag along with Donghyuck and the others were silent until they were sure that the two had fallen asleep.

“Two weeks” Jaemin repeated as if unbelieving.

“Longer than that” Yuta reminded, nudging Jeno as a sign to help Jaemin sleep. “Now don’t think about it that much. We…we just have to trust them.”

“I never said sorry” Jaemin murmured sleepily. “I always teased him and I never said sorry.”

The others were speechless until Jeno said with his soothing voice “Me too, Nana, so we’ll make sure we can.”

The night was long, but they weren’t cold. Not while they were together.

-

When Renjun shifted, a strong grip on his arm forced him to stay still. There was a burning sensation on his skin, right over his ribs. It was almost impossible to keep quiet from the pain that seemed to sink to his bones.

“Don’t let the, know what you can do” Kun whispered in his ear. “They’ll come for us.”

Renjun wanted to scoff and state that there was a higher possibility that they were either dead or would be picked off from the side of the road rather than being on the way to get them. Perhaps, if he dried to track them-

“Don’t use your ability. Not now. We don’t know if they’re scanning our brain activity. Don’t give them any clues to what you can do.”

Kun did not move against him and Renjun wondered if they were still in the plane on the way to the facility. The world didn’t turn and vibrate around him, so he figured he was on stable ground. There was the sound of a door opening and slamming shut.

“Wake up, boys. You’re in our protection, now.”

Renjun feigned being annoyed from being woken up (which was surprisingly easy) and rubbed his eyes for good measure. When his eyesight became clear, eh realized both he and Kun were in a padded room, the ones Renjun imagined self-destructive psychopaths would stay while being placed in a straitjacket.

Renjun looked down at himself and gave a low sigh.

Of course he was in a fudging strait jacket.

“Now, young lads. What are your names?”

Renjun was silent, not knowing what to answer. Usually, Johnny was the smooth talker in their group, tall enough to pass as an adult and his prediction proving useful to choose the right person to bargain with. Now, however, he could only rely on Kun and his own sharp wits to keep themselves alive.

Kun was no fighter. His role did not involve being hurt or captured. He was simply a mother figure that made sure no one would end up dead due to natural causes such as starvation and poor hygiene. Now that Renjun thought of it, the others might have not bathed at all now that Kun wasn’t there to remind them.

“Boys, must I be forced to bring you pain if you do not talk-“

“We don’t understand” Renjun blurted in the most broken Korean he could manage. He looked over at Kun who instantly understood what he was planning. “We don’t know.”

The man blinked before cursing under his breath. Renjun suppressed a smile as the man brought a walkie talkie to his lips, explaining the situation.

“No…we don’t have any chinese scientists here. The Polygot? Right…but must we ask what they can do. Huh? Oh…well…he sounds terrible in Korean. Fine, fine”

The man lowered the walkie talkie and walked up to them, crouching down to free them from their strait jackets.

“What are you going to do with us?” Kun asked in Chinese, looking at him with mock bewilderment. “Please tell us what is going on-“

“I. No. Chinese. Speak” The man said as slowly as he could with large gestures. “You. Power. Have?”

Renjun blinked. Once, twice. He raised his arm and made flexed his muscle.

“Power? Strong?” He asked in broken Korean. He looked at Kun and started talking animatedly in Chinese. Kun replied just as enthusiastically, talking about how weak he was and how living in China would have been better than in Korea. The man grew increasingly frustrated before the door slid open and a boy came inside, eyes bright and face youthful. He was followed by another boy who had a calm expression, looking bored.

He did not look Korean.

“Ah…Yang Yang. We have two foreigners here…and we need you to ask them what their powers are. Why is Sicheng with you?”

“He is restless, sir. He is also interested since there are more foreigners that cannot speak Korean. We have quite the number.” Yang Yang chuckled lightly and the man’s face grew lighter.

The boys, Yang Yang and Sicheng, knelt down in front of them as the man stood, watching at a distance. Sichengs head tilted slightly and he gazed at both of them with such intensity that Renjun felt rather uncomfortable.

“He wants to know what you can do” Yang Yang said with a smile, but his eyes were as dark as a snakes when he continued. “I’m on your side…so tell me the truth and I’ll help you however I can”

Renjun and Kun shared a glance.

It was Kun who spoke up for both of them. “My name is Kun and I can control the weather…and Renjun can track anyone.”

Yang Yangs smile faltered slightly and a look of realization passed over his face before it was back. “Okay…thank you.”

Yang Yang stood and faced the man, looking enthusiastically at the man. “The older one is Kun, and he can predict the weather. The other one is Renjun, and he’s able to…what do you call it…it’s like clairvoyance but it’s not.”

“Is it like tracking?” the man asked. Yang Yang shook his mop of chestnut colored hair, a smile still lingering on his lips as he thought of a good cover up for Renjuns ability.

“Ahh, yes…he has x ray vision…but he mentioned something about only being able to see things he knows are there. Like…you can’t make him see inside a box, but if you hide an apple than you let him see in a box, he can see it.”

“So…he can only see through stuff when he knows what he’s searching for.” The man rephrased and Yang Yang nodded, bouncing up and down in mock excitement.

“Yeah, that’s it!”

The man pondered for quite a while before sighing. “Both of them are probably Gold, but Renjun can be used as a Black. I’ve never heard of these abilities…so you can take them to their respective dorms first. They’ll be together with the rest of the foreigner Infected. We will call for them once we’ve decided.”

“Thank you!!!” Yang Yang all but squealed in delight before pulling Kun and Renjun to their feet. They tugged them along and guided them through the hallways that twisted and turned in a way that Renjun was sure he’d get lost if he ever went through unsupervised.

There were so many kids his age, wearing similar uniforms that oddly looked like strait jackets, but were not. Their sleeves had a stripe; black, gold or white. The rest of their uniforms were light blue.

“Look…guys” Yang Yang said in a low voice, no longer holding any fake enthusiasm. “We’re gonna take you to the dorms, and you have to follow the system. The reason we are safe now is because Sicheng is able to block out any waves that are trying to scan your brains in case you lie. He’s able to manipulate them. There’s no way out of here, so don’t try to do anything reckless.”

They reached an elevator and entered, Yang Yang pressing one of the higher levels. “The elevators are the only place where there are no speakers to hear what you talk about, as far as I know. Now…tell me…do you have any information that is of use to us?”

Sicheng looked pointedly at the rising numbers of the elevator and Kun was quick to tell. “We may have others looking for us…but we’re not sure if they’re coming unless Renjun can track them.”

Yang Yang nodded and nudged Sicheng to speak.

“Don’t try to use your power unless I’m around. Trust us…and you’ll be fine until they come”

The elevator opened and they were met with what looked alike to a hostel hallway. Their dorm was the farthest and Yang Yang was quick to explain that they were unfortunately going to be split up.

“Renjun will be with the youngsters.” Yang Yang explained as Sicheng guided Kun away to the door opposite of them. “We’ll see each other soon”

Renjun swallowed heavily and bid Kun farewell, letting Yang Yang pull him inside where three other boys sat, on the lower bunk, a board game between them.

Simultaneously, the turned to look at him.

“I THOUGHT THAT FOUR PEOPLE WERE ENOUGH FOR OUR DORM”

“SHUT UP LUCAS, YOU’RE SCARING JISUNG”

“WELL YOU’RE NOT THAT QUIET YOURSELF, HUH, CHENLE”

Renjun was quiet. “So…Lucas, Jisung and Chenle?”

Yang Yang scratched his nape awkwardly. “Uh…yeah.”

This was going to be great.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Verrrrryyyyyyyy long time, sorry. I was even considering deleting this story bit then I saw the number of bookmarks and felt bad. I hope you can comment so I feel more hyped to continue! Hope you enjoy this chapter!!! Again, I'm sorry if it isn't up to par.


	4. Another one

“I’m going to puke”

The van stopped abruptly as Johnny let himself out, taking in heaving breaths. From where they were, civilization (or what was left of it) could be seen. There was even a big sign in front as if welcoming them to a new society, a safe haven even.

Apparently, that was not the case.

“Everything feels wrong. We’re stepping into another bear trap” Johnny stated as they all climbed the back of the van, squishing in. “I don’t think there are many who are hiding their children in there. I assume there are bounty hunters, Predators, as a majority.”

Taeyong shifted uncomfortably. “Look, I can pull in the memories we need, but we have to get closer. If theres anything your foresight can tell us-“

“I’m driving” Johnny butted in with a tone of finality. “The rest of you, stay at the back where theres no seats. Stay down and cover yourselves with blankets.”

The space was too small if they were all going to lay down. They had to be on top of each other of that were possible, but it was not like they didn’t trust Johnnys intuition. In the end, the ones that remained on top were the youngest and lightest, but the ride was bumpy and no one was comfortable.

The engine whirred to life and heat seeped through the air conditioner, indicating the presence of factories and smoke.

“You’re right, Johnny” Taeyong spoke from under Donghyuck, his voice muffled and airy. “They all lost their children and are Predators. I can’t find any who are hiding Infected.”

The news wasn’t good, and they started to fear that they were driving into their own demise.

-

“Hey!” the rough voice of a man stopped Johnny from driving through the open entrance of the city. “Watcha have there in your van?”

Johnny leaned back so the man and the others who were trying to peek through the window could look at his stacked friends. His mind was going haywire with the amount of risks he was taking, warning him of so many predictions that may lead them to their deaths.

But the facility was beyond this city, and they had to pass through intact.

“An Infected blew up a home when I was headed here. The East ain’t a good place to stay these days with the number of hidden kids lurking in the basements” Johnny said, shaking his head in mock pity. “Heard a bunch of screams but no one made a move to save the kids, all of them Infected. I know people are dying here and there, but if these bodies can get me some money, I’d take it”

The statement left a bitter aftertaste in his mouth, but he held his expression, waiting for the reactions of others. The weak among them turned away, gagging and looking at him in disgust, and perhaps a tinge of empathy. The world had changed, and people were desperate.

“Wouldn’t mind if I take a look back there?” the man asked and Johny obliged, hoping that none of them dared to move a muscle. He waited in the drivers’ seat as the men walked to pull open the back door.

Johnny saw them pull the blankets off his friends and some of them groaned in disgust. When Johnny squinted, he realized Jeno and Jaemin had shifted into the burned and deathly versions of themselves. It was quite the shock for the people and the door was pulled shut.

They let him drive in almost instantly, but Johnny could see that there were motorcycles and cars following up behind him.

“They know something seems off” Taeyong spoke from the pile. “They think that your intentions are not clear and that you seem young yourself”

Johnny cursed at himself and checked the mirrors to see if they were still following. It would be a dead giveaway if they saw him going to the facility. Dead bodies were supposed to be given to local Guards who always patrolled the streets. They’d give money and wait for the planes to retrieve the bodies.

No one was allowed near the facility, not even adults.

His intuition perked up and Johnny found himself following it almost blindly through the curves of the city. There were no apartments or skyscrapers. Instead, single houses were randomly built by the streets and terrace houses built to form a square.

The people who roamed the streets held guns and knives, eyes beady and staring at him along with the other vehicles who were in pursuit. His intuition led him to a place where there were single houses built in a cozy manner, not directly side by side but close enough to be called neighbors.

The vehicles behind him stopped abruptly and Johnny prayed that his intuition had worked somehow.

“Ahhh…my brother!”

A man, rather short in stature came rushing out of his house, arms open. His eyes smile was warm but his eyes were desperate, telling him to play along.

Johnny pulled himself out of the car and embraced the man, giving the people who had followed him a look that indicated he wanted privacy. Huffing due to their wasted time, they turned around and left the two to ‘reunite’ as a family.

They didn’t let go of each other until the last trail of car smoke disappeared around the corner.

“Right…now that I’ve saved your life, you better tell me the truth” the man stated, gesturing to the van. “I’m not a Predator, simply a man whose child has been taken”

Johnny blinked, pondering the risks until Taeyong slid out of the van, hands up in the air.

“He’s telling the truth. He only has good intentions” Taeyong said carefully, watching as the man’s eyes widened as the others who were now sweating profusely moved from their places until they were visible through the window.

“How many of you are there?” the man asked and suddenly, Johnny felt very guilty. “Nevermind. Drive into the garage and we’ll talk inside. Call me Taeil.”

-

Kun didn’t know how to react.

There was constant yelling going on in his room, and what seemed to be a human sized dust bunny running around and causing chaos.

“Put it back, gege! PUT IT BACK!!!” a boy with a princely face screamed as he ran away from the creature who was in hot pursuit. “OI, XIAO JUN!!!”

“No can do” the boy, Xiao Jun, stated as he sat atop the cupboard, calmly sipping from a milk carton. “You brought it upon yourself”

Sicheng massaged the bridge of his nose, clearly in distress. “Ten-ge is probably in a foul mood.”

Kun stared at him incredulously, clearly not understanding how he could be so calm while theres a monstrosity in their room. “What on Earth is that?”

“A stress scribble” Sicheng replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “It’s not even a proper drawing!”

“Drawing?” Kun repeated and walked after Sicheng who was heading towards two bunker beds.

There was a honey skinned figure laying spread eagles on the bottom bunk, a piece of paper in his hand and one arm covering his eyes. He seemed to be awake though, considering Sicheng was openly lecturing him about something Kun couldn’t really catch on.

“…you know it’s not supposed to WORK like that!” Sicheng was saying, kicking at the bed which manged to make the other boy lower his arm to glare at him. “That THING you just conjured up doesn’t even have a FACE!”

At that statement, Ten startled to a sitting position, eyes wide as he watched the gigantic dust bunny knock over the drawers. There was a murmur of accent in a language Kun didn’t understand before the monster was suddenly sucked back into the paper Ten was holding, now looking like a stress scribble Sicheng had mentioned.

“What in the world…?” Kun whispered and looked back at the two boys. When he realized that the two boys had switched placements, the one running now on the closet and vice versa, he stumbled back, knocking his head on the top bunk. “How on Earth?”

“How on Earth did he get here?” The one who was now on the closet asked before he jumped down, landing on two feet. “Is he new?”

“Yes…Chinese like us” Sicheng spoke. “He’s under us…and he’s kinda like Yixing-ge.”

“What? Thunder? Lightning?!!” Ten asked.

“Weather” Kun corrected before he extended his hand. “I’m…Kun.”

“Oooh…like me!” the one who was running piped up, taking his hand in his own. “But people call me Hendery.”

“Xiao Jun” the other one introduced before gesturing towards Ten. “That’s Chittaphon…but we call him Ten cause why not?”

Kun blinked once, twice. “I’m sorry, but what on Earth just happened here?”

“Ten-ge can bring his drawing to life. He’s a great drawer, but they only give him one sheet and a marker at most.” Xiao Jun explained.

“Which I steal…actually” Ten corrected. “Anyway…yes. I’m not allowed any colorful stuff because bad things happened before-“

“Which he REFUSES to tell us” Hendery butted in.

“-and now I just refrain from any realistic drawings” Ten finished before gesturing to the other two. “These two can switch places with each other, both have terrible memory and are basically immune to any attack”

Kun raised his eyebrows. “Like you can’t get hurt”

“Gottcha” Xiao Jun confirmed and grazed his arm against a protruding nail on the bed. When he did so, a black substance seemed to drip from his wound and when he pulled back, it pulled back into his skin and the wound closed neatly, not even leaving a scar.

“What was that black stuff” Kun asked and was answered with head shakes. He didn’t miss the way Ten looked guilty and how Sicheng face remained stoic at the question. Something was going on with those two.

“Sorry, but we have lab research” Hendery apologized before tugging Xiao Jun towards the door. “I mean…even these scientists can’t figure out what it is”

“True true” Xiao Jun added and they disappeared out the door, leaving the other three in awkward silence.

“I think you guys know whats going on with those two” Kun said and turned to the others in the room. “Months on the streets make it easy for me to read someones face.”

The two exchanged worried glances.

“There’s a reason why I try not to use color” Ten said softly, regret washing over his fragile features. “It makes things look so realistic…I can’t bear to take away the life a give”

And it suddenly clicked in Kun’s head, the way both were connected in such a way and how both of them didn’t seem to have any blood to spill. They reminded Kun of the two twin siblings he had doted on before.

“They…are your drawings?” Kun spoke slowly. “You drew them?”

“I was so lonely being alone” Ten admitted, his voice shaking. Sicheng moved to sit beside the shorter boy, offering his hand to hold. “They don’t exist…but they just seem so real. I couldn’t bear to tell them that they were never born to begin with, much less put them back on the paper.”

“So they were caught with him” Sicheng continued, sighing heavily. “And came here with him. Thankfully, the scientists haven’t caught on just yet. If they find out Ten can create new life, we’re pretty much screwed from there.”

Kun massaged his temples, trying to understand the situation. They were the dubbed foreigners, the ones the scientists could not understand without Yang Yang to help out when during researches. They had someone who could create life, someone who might be able to create an army.

“My friends will come for us” Kun said confidently, making sure he made eye contact with both of them. “They’ll come…and we’ll get out before they get the chance to find out.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oop...short short chapter. Realllly sorry but I thought it would be better if we can get the action in the next chapter, ya know. Oh wait...was that a spoiler?


	5. Another day

“I swear I just fixed that bloody fan-“ Taeil mumbled to himself.

Taeyong felt guilty. The dining room was cramped with all ten of them trying to squeeze into the few chairs that were placed. Of course, Jeno and Jaemin had offered to turn into chairs themselves but were declined politely. Who knows what part they were sitting on.

“I’ll help you” Doyoung called as Taeil dragged the fan to the room, its blades dusty and probably couldn’t generate enough air for them through the thick dust. Jungwoo reached out and placed a hand on the object and they watched as the dust shriveled into thin air.

“Well, that was a waste” Taeil spoke, chuckling to himself. “The electricity is off and such. Not much can be done when we have-“

Doyoung held the cable and the fan whirred to life.

“-or we could do it that way” Taeil corrected before handing placing a pot of tea onto the table. “Right. Now, I assume you’re off to the facility over there. No suspicious person has gotten there willingly.”

“No one ever tried to break the others out?” Johnny questioned but was surprised when Taeil shook his head, albeit mournfully.

“No, many have tried but they never get out of the walls of this city” Taeil spoke softly, as if there were ears pressed to the walls. Perhaps, there were. “I hate it to break it to you guys…but you’re right in the trap of the government”

The room was still, tensed silence filling the small spaces between them. Donghyuck tapped Taeyongs shoulder, clearly not understanding what the man had said. Taeil looked at them fondly as Taeyong used sign language to communicate with Donghyuck.

“If only my little boy knew how to do that too. Would have spared me the trouble” Taeil sighed, looking thoughtful. “My son is in there, too. Turned in by the people here.”

“I don’t get it. If they know who we are, they should have reported us already” Yuta said, gritting his teeth. Taeyong’s eyes flickered to the windows, suddenly worried if the guards would appear and start a fight in the poor mans’ home.

Taeil looked as if he wanted a drink from the way his forehead creased in stress. “Your mutated genes…they give out this sort of radiation. I’m not sure how it works, but the gov created this technology to identify who has it. The people don’t know you’re Infected…but the government do, now. But the facility is days away, and it would take a day minimum for them to get here by plane.”

“But they’re not coming, yet” Mark spoke up, standing from his chair to let Jeno and Jaemin scoot closer to each other. He spoke as if it were a question more than a statement.

“Not now, but they’ll arrive soon. If you want to purchase anything for self-defense, the shops are open in the morning and we can bring some of you to go. We can move in the afternoon when they least expect us to go” Taeil stated.

Taeyong felt a wave of curiosity. “Wait…why are you helping us anyway?”

Taeil smiled to himself, casting a haunted look at the others. “I told you, my sons in there. And I don’t know if he’s alive or not. You’re currently the only ones who’ve passed by with a decent amount of people to break in. How can I not agree? Besides-“

He turned and pulled back a painting to reveal a set of knives and gun magazines. Taeil whipped around and crossed his arms, his eyes glinting with mischief. “I’m known for being quite lucky”

-

Their room was dark.

Under the thin covers the facility provided, Renjun squirmed in his bed. When he strained his hearing, he could catch on the sound of some guards patrolling the place, their shoes heavy against the tiled floor. It was scold, and he was scared, not a good combination.

There was a pulsing feeling in his head, as if his ability was urging him to track down his members, but that was too risky considering what he had been told. If Lucas was there, it would have been easier for him to refrain from tracking.

Lucas had the ability to cancel out abilities.

And for some reason, he had been guided out that very evening to one of the underground labs. Perhaps it was because he was too anxious, but Renjun could swear he saw the flicker of fear in the eyes of his new friend.

There was a shift above him before a pair of legs dangled from the top bunk, slipping forward until his whole body dropped to the floor lightly. Pale and skinny, Jisung’s figure could be made out due to the small light that slipped beneath the door.

“Jisung?” Renjun whispered, making the younger boy startle backwards. “Hey, why aren’t you asleep?”

There was silence before Jisung slipped right beside Renjun, shifting himself under the covers to snuggle close to him. Renjun doubted he could produce much body heat, but the younger seemed content being just beside him.

“I thought you liked sleeping with Chenle at the top bunk” Renjun questioned. Jisung shook his head, driving his face deeper under the covers. Renjun squinted his eyes to peek at the other bunk where Lucas’ spot was empty at the top.

There were wisps of black smoke and figures to dark to make out moving near the ceiling, sometimes nearing the top bed.

“Chenle is having a nightmare, huh?” Renjun asked and Jisung nodded, burrowing deeper. When Renjun lifted the covers slightly, he saw that Jisung was covering his ears with his hands. A wave of sympathy washed over him for the young boy.

Jisung had selective mutism, only able to be coaxed by his friend, Chenle, which made them inseparable. The boy could see the dead, and probably hear them too. It made him scared, it made him anxious. Chenle had spoken about how the ghost would tell Jisung about how they died or pester him to help out those who were in danger of dying.

“Spirits” Lucas had said, fingers moving mystically. “They don’t rest well”

-

The car vibrated gently, almost lulling him to sleep. After days of being on the run, it was hard for Jaehyun not to fall asleep while being in the safety of a vehicle. Of course, there was that minor inconvenience that the car was, indeed, too small and that Taeil decided to bring most of his knives along with them for protection or barter.

“I’m still worried” Taeyong stated, looking outside with a stoic expression. His whole exterior was tense as they waited for Taeil and Johnny to finish buying stuff. The sky was tinted grey, tainted by the ash of war and the slow corruption of humans as they fought one another out of greed.

Jaehyun liked to think that the world was changing, the way they did. As if it were suiting itself to the new norm of a powerful new generation.

“They’ll be fine” Jaehyun comforted, placing a hand on Taeyongs thigh. The latter startled hard, as if he was electrocuted and Jaehyun retracted his hand. The air felt heavier, more awkward. Suffocating.

“Doyoung and you…are you close?”

The question put Jaehyun off guard, color seeping into his ears. Uncomfortably, he pulled his overgrown hair to hide them, cursing them for revealing his emotions.

“We went to school since kindergarden. Both of us were the top contenders in academics…but we were never actually rivals.” Jaehyun laughed at the nostalgia of the memory. “ He debated like crazy, I played basketball like crazy. People tried to put us against each other, for competitive spirit, I guess. But for us, it was just us against the world. Make sure we are the top two. Let’s both get to nationals. There was no you and I…only us.”

Taeyong so they were looking at each other. His demeanor had changed, less tense. “You speak of him fondly, but why do you sound so sad?”

There was a tugging at his heart, a feeling that urged him to spill every single emotion that he kept bottled up. It was a the thing that had made him feel heavier, made it harder for him to truly focus. Guilt crept up his chest.

“It was when you appeared.” Jaehyun confessed, eyes not daring to look at the other in the eye. “He became more distant, more wary of…me? I’m not sure, but I don’t know why.”

Taeyong gritted his teeth. There was a building tension in his head, the way it did when he felt the need to speak out his thoughts. More than once, he had wondered if his ability had made him somehow too outspoken, unable to control his own thoughts while accessing others so easily.

“He doesn’t trust me…us…yet”

The younger looked up, his brow creasing in confusion. The truth tingled at the edge of his tongue, the memories he had accidentally slipped into when he had been overcome with fatigue and the two others, emotionally unstable.

“You guys…were thinking too much” Taeyong said slowly, tittering between betrayal and trust. “I slipped inside a few times…and I just know these things. Doyoung doesn’t like seeing you with me. I catch him looking at us from the drivers’ seat sometimes, but he always looks away. I know its hard to accept…Infected…like Donghyuck and I, but I don’t want your trust for each other to break because of us”

His outburst slowed like water out of his mouth, a thought process he had kept back in his emotional dam. Doyoungs thoughts didn’t feel like pushing through cotton like Donghyuck, or like a breath of air the way Jaehyun was. It was as if every time he was sucked in, there was the constant turning of clogs and gears pushing him forward and Taeyong had no idea if something would suddenly spring out a trap and he would be caught.

He had slipped into the mind of many people, but Doyoungs thought process disturbed him a lot.

“Why would you think he’d lose trust in me?” Jaehyun whispered, gently setting his hand on the others shoulder. Taeyong felt a shiver run down his spine from the touch, and the throbbing behind his eyes seemed to increase slightly.

“You trust too easily. You’ll get everyone killed at this rate.” Taeyong said before biting his tongue. Those weren’t his words. They were Doyoungs thoughts; and they weren’t stopping.

“Reckless, impulsive, naïve. Stop shielding yourself with other people-“

“Taeyong, what are you talking about-“

“Why can’t you just open your eyes and realize we’ve been here for you the longest?”

“Stop it, Taeyong, you’re scaring me-“

“I TOLD you to try and improve! Why can’t you just LISTEN to me-?”

“TAEYONG!!!”

Taeyong stopped, his eyes snapping open. He bit his lower lip and hugged his shaking figure. Jaehyun was right in front of him, holding his shoulders tightly as if he would be swept away like his words.

“I’m sorry” Taeyong whispered, pushing Jaehyuns hands off of his shoulders. “I just…he thinks a lot and his thoughts just stamp themselves in my head.”

Jaehyun was still confused. “I thought you could only access memories, not thoughts”

“That’s why I’m so confused by you two” Taeyong stated, looking away from Jaehyuns pitying gaze. “Why can I hear your thoughts?”

Jaehyuns reply was broken off as the world around them vibrated. Stumbling away from the elder, Jaehyun rolled down the window and peeked outside. There were jets and helicopters passing overhead, towards the place they had come from.

“The others!” Taeyong yelled just as Taeil and Johnny sprinted out, their bags full. “WE HAVE TO GO BACK!!!”

Taeil muttered something about luck under his breath, snapping on his seat belt before turning to the others.

“Unless you want to be thrown out, I suggest you get yourselves strapped in”

They didn’t have to be told twice.

-

“Don’t fudging panic”

His words fell on deaf ears because he was, indeed, panicking. From afar, Jungwoo had managed to identify flying objects coming their way, and they probably had three minutes tops to prepare the incoming forces.

“We don’t have enough knives for everyone” Jeno spoke, emptying the knife drawer and the hidden compartment. “Besides, if they bring more Infected, these knives won’t come in handy at all”

A siren was blaring in his head and the lights above them flickered with his distress. He didn’t understand completely why it happened, but his abilities seemed to have improved over the day since the incident in the mall.

“Hyung-“ Jaemin started but was cut off by a distressed wave of his hand.

“If I remember correctly, Taeyong said they can’t get their hand son Donghyuck” Doyoung said, gesturing to the younger who was trying as hard as he could to make out the words Doyoung was saying in such a fast manner. “We can’t let them know how many of us there truly are.”

“But they’ll take us anyway” Yuta argued, slamming his fist on the table. “We need to fight back, or we’ll all end up in that godforsaken facility as lab rats, not rescuers.”

The situation was heated, and it was getting harder and harder to think as the vibrations increased. It was safe to assume that the Guards were probably going to try and find them. With Predators roaming the streets, there was a high possibility they would point at them as the newcomers.

“Mark and I will go on offense. Jungwoo, I need you to drive the van out of the garage once they storm into this building. Yuta, if you can possess the one flying the air vehicles, that would be great. The rest of you will hide inside.”

There was a burst of outrage as the youngsters defended that they could fight, too. The vibrations increased and it occurred to Doyoung that they had sent an overwhelming amount of people to capture them. Even Donghyuck had caught on and was sending him a death glare, probably offended at the thought of being seen as weak. Jungwoo slipped away, heading for the storage.

“Fine, fine” Doyoung spoke up, sighing heavily. “Mark, I need you to ask Donghyuck if he learnt to wield anything aside from a gun and his powers. We can’t reveal him yet.”

Donghyuck looked expectantly at Mark as the latter started making wild gestures, trying to convey the message with slow lip movements. Donghyucks eyes brightened and he traced letters in the air for Mark to understand.

“Bladed objects-“ Mark said, still looking at Donghyuck. “And a whip”

Doyoung cast a ‘look’ over at the twins and both of them sighed in defeat. Simultaneously, both headed over to each side of Donghyuck, holding each of his hands much to the bewilderment of the other.

“Mark!” Jungwoo called from the doorway before he raised a pair of skates. His eyebrows were raised and Mark knew he had lost the fight. The risk? He would probably have badly scratched knees once he was done. Yuta grabbed a long blade, tucking it into his pocket.

In his other hand was a pair of binoculars, probably for him to get a good look at the plane drivers.

“We’ll all get out of here once they bust inside” Doyoung said, letting them distribute the blades and any sort of dangerous object they could find. “They’ll surround the house, but we’ll catch them off guard. Jungwoo, hold the van together because Yuta will be vulnerable once he hops bodies. We’ll have to fight, then”

The plan was set, and there was a sudden knocking at their door.

“Hurry!” Jaemin yelled and they ran for the garage, spilling into the vehicle just as the first pop of a bullet was heard. From their place, they could hear round sof bullets being fired at the door before it was forced open.

“PRESS THE GAS!” Mark screamed and Jungwoo pushed on the pedal just as the gate rose for them to slip out

Sure enough, the Guards had their guns on them, plastic shields up to protect themselves. They burst out suddenly, catching the Guards off guard and pushing them to the floor. There was no place to run. The Guards and Infected alike surrounded the place, too many to count.

“Oh God, please help us-“ Doyoung heard Mark pray as he strapped himself into the roller skates, eyes hard. From the side of his eye, he could see Jeno and Jaemin morph into twin whips that curled around Donghyucks arms. Donghyuck had his hoodie up, a mask worn to cover his face.

“You see him, Yuta?” Jungwoo asked, ditching the steering wheel upon seeing they had no place to run. His hands were placed firmly on the vehicles floor.

“Gotcha” Yuta whispered and the binoculars fell out of his grip, his body slumping back against the walls.

“WE WILL NOT HURT YOU IF YOU COME WITH US PEACEFULLY!!!” Someone was yelling outside, but Doyoung was not paying attention. They had to wait until the right time, the right moment to strike. “DO NOT MAKE A MOVE AGAINST US OR WE WILL ATTACK. THERE ARE MANY OF US, SO I SUGGEST YOU DO AS WE SAY-“

Mark growled under his breath, his breaths becoming faster as adrenaline kicked in. There was a ticking in his head, like a time bomb waiting to explode.

Then there were screams and Doyoung could hear the sound of something heavy striking the ground and exploding.

“Go!” he yelled, pulling the door open and they spilt out, going head to head with the Guards. Mark disappeared and suddenly, the front liners were gone, sent tumbling in the air high up in the sky. Donghyuck leaped over the van to lash out with his whips, cutting off the bullets that went his way and striking at the limbs of the people surrounding him.

There was the sound akin to a dragon and some guy opened his mouth, spewing out fire.

Jungwoo screamed and let his energy flow into the van to refrain the engine from exploding. Doyoung picked up a fallen Guards shield and lifted it over his head, knowing that the Infected were most probably going to attack from above.

Mark was acting fast, covering half of the people who were shooting on the ground. Doyoung placed his hands on the floor before forcing the hidden cables to push out and aim for anyone who tried to come near. There was a tangle of limbs as people were sent to the floor by high voltage.

From behind him, he heard a scream.

Doyoung whipped around to see Jeno, in his human form, convulsing on the ground as a tight cable that glowed black wrapped around his ribs. It was horrifying, seeing him jerk as if in a seizure, and Doyoung recounted Taeyong talking about experiments.

It made him even angrier.

“Jaemin, shift forms!” Jungwoo yelled seeing Donghyuck struggle to keep the Guards at bay with only one whip. Jaemin shifted into a long pole which Donghyuck wielded with ease, before switching to a different weapon every now and then according to what was needed.

Doyoung knew, Jaemin was enraged by the agony that Jeno was in.

Yuta woke up suddenly before falling back once he saw a Guard wielding a large machine gun. The person shuddered before firing wildly at his colleagues, taken out quickly which resulted in Yuta waking up clutching his chest in pain.

“Where on EARTH are you Jaehyun?” Doyoung thought bitterly as he sent the wires headed to the back where he saw more Infected dropping from the helicopters.

_We’re here_

Something clenched in his chest as he turned to see Taeil driving like a maniac towards Donghyucks side. Jaehyun leaped out of the car, splaying his hands and pushing away the many Guards who had started advancing, seeing that Donghyuck was getting more tired.

There was the sound of breeze mixed with ice as the floor turned to ice, and suddenly Mark came crashing against Doyoung, confused and disoriented. From the sidewalk. Some person flew above them, wings transparent and bug like. There were even Guards flying, strange contraptions strapped to their backs that made them levitate off ground.

“Shoot!” Taeil yelled and drifted in front of Doyoung and Mark, covering them from being penetrated by bullets.

“Taeyong snatched up a gun and started firing wildly at the people in front of him. His training kicked in as he tore through the people with a single gun and a jacket of knives to back him up. Johnny ran ver to help him, predicting where the bullets would end up and guiding Taeyong through.

-

“One more” Yuta gritted his teeth and raised the binoculars. He fell back again and a helicopter went crashing into another, both falling to the ground in an explosion that was lost among the wave of bullets. He inhaled a huge breath once he was awake, pressing his palms to his temples in agony.

“Stay here!” Jungwoo commanded before hopping off the van to deal with the many Guards that were on Donghyucks side. Jaehyun had made his way near the van, still trying create as many barriers as he could to stop the oncoming bullets from all directions, including above.

Donghyuck had dragged Jeno’s limp form near the van. The restraints were gone but a purple welt had remained on his skin. It made Jungwoo feel unnerved.

“Get him in the van” Jungwoo ordered, placing his hands on the cement and willing his energy to reverse the process. The cement liquefied, the people standing in front of them now slowed down by the wet cement. The bullets hadn’t stopped, but Jaehyun was able to push back the Guards more easily and yank the airborne ones into the wet cement.

“I can’t bear it much longer” Jaehyun said, his voice faltering slightly. “The bullets aren’t normal.”

There was a scream as Taeil’s car was scrunched up into a metal ball by a metal manipulator and was thrown straight at the van. Barely having time to scream, Jungwoo felt himself being yanked sideways out of the vans way by none other than Mark Lee.

“Oh My God” Jaehyun whispered, his fingers splayed as he pulled Yuta and Jeno out of the van just as it flipped over, dragging the stunned boys next to them. They had no cover besides Jaehyuns telekinesis, and even that was weakening.

There was the sound of sizzling which Taeil managed to identify before the father kicked the grenade as far as possible. The explosion was still terrible and Jaehyun’s focus wavered.

It was as if he was struck by a hot metal stoker and a Taser at the same time. Jungwoo felt something strike his chest and a cable wrap around his torso, binding him. It felt as if someone had fried his brain somehow. His nerves were on fire, saliva gathering in his mouth and dripping down his chin. Something seemed to stop working in him but he didn’t know what.

“Jungwoo! Yuta!” he heard Taeil yell. He was drifting between reality and his own subconscious. Aware, not aware, aware. Someone tugged him back and he could see Jaehyun standing protectively in front of him, Taeil by his side.

-

Taeyong could feel the bullets grazing against his skin. He didn’t undertsnad how the Guards and Infected hadn’t decreased in size even though it seemed that they had taken down so many. It unnerved him how blood thirsty the Infected he encountered looked, along with the metal collars they wore on their necks.

The rounds of bullets and blades were coming too fast for Johnny to catch up with. Apparently, Johnny also realized because he was purposely dragging Taeyong backwards as they fought. Someone he could not see knocked the blade out of his hand and Taeyong rummaged in his jacket to find another, only to find his jacket empty.

There was a strong breeze as Mark ran by, his figure seen more clearly as the younger ran out of steam. He was growing tired and the people around him were too. Jaemin had turned into a machete, trying to help Donghyuck create more distance as the enemies closed off.

“Mark, get Johnny out!” Taeyong yelled, knowing mark probably couldn’t run fast enough with two people in tow. Johnny disappeared from his side and taeyong willed the last of his adrenaline to keep him on his feet. He could see Doyoungs cables strike down many at once, but each one that went down seemed to be replaced by more.

There was a searing pain in his thigh and Taeyong saw a knife embedded in his flesh. His leg went limp and he crashed to the ground. There was a pounding of footsteps and slim fingers wrapped around his shoulders before the person shifted to stand in front of him.

Doyoung looked fatigued as he continued to battle using the underground cables, knowing that his energy was running out. The air in front of him wavered, indicating Jaehyun was trying his best to shield them while fending off the Guards from the other side. It was pure madness.

“I know where they’re coming from” Doyoung spoke, his voice airy. “Above the clouds, they made a teleporter. I can feel it speak to me. It’s invisible.”

The cables Doyoung had controlled went limp as Doyoung stumbled back, landing on his knees with his back to Taeyong.

“Can you bring it down?” Taeyong questioned, placing a hand on Doyoungs shoulder. Doyoungs eyes lit up and he looked skywards, as if looking beyond the clouds somewhere up there.

“Hold on to me” was what Doyoung said and his brow creased in strain. Donghyuck had backed away into the safety of Jaehyun’s shield, panting and collapsing to the ground, supported by Mark who was also spent. The Guards were closing in, and they were no longer capable of attacking.

“How far is it?” Taeyong asked, clenching Doyoungs shoulder tightly.

“Hang on”

The clouds parted and Taeyong saw the air move and waver. People were looking skywards, watching as a large plane-like contraption materialized into view, forced to appear by Doyoung. Taeyong could feel the panic coming from the Guards in their ship as Doyoung made it go haywire.

“Destroy yourself” Doyoung seemed to plead. “I command you to stop working”

Jaehyun stumbled back as a dozen grenades were sent towards his shield simultaneously, the shield disappearing for a moment and then there were bullets. Jaehyun instantly forced the shield up but was unable to stretch it out to the place where Taeyong and Doyoung were in time.

Taeyong almost thrown to the floor from the impact of Doyoung being forced back. His other hand was brought up to DOyoungs torso, and came out scarlet.

“Doyoung!” Taeyong yelled and held him tight as Jaehyun pulled up the barrier before the bullets could do more damage. Three had buried themselves into Doyoungs flesh. Taeyong couldn’t see from where he was located, but he wa sure Doyoung was bleeding badly.

“A bit more” Doyoung whispered, sounding faint but his fists were clenched. The plane seemed to shut down and suddenly, it was free falling to its doom. Taeyong looked away as the explosion happened, big enough for them to feel the heat against their faces. Jaehyun’s shield went down and he collapsed against Taeil, who struggled to keep him in his feet.

“WE GIVE YOU ANOTHER CHANCE!” A man was yelling as the remaining Guards and Infected circled them. “GIVE IN AND NO ONE ELSE WILL BE HURT”

There was just as many. None of them could muster up enough energy to fight back, let alone escape from the many people surrounding them. Taeyong felt Doyoungs breaths turn into wheezes against his chest, his torso spilling more blood onto the hands he kept wrapped around Doyoung.

There was a shot and Jaehyun jerked his head, just as the glowing black cable came near to where Mark and Donghyuck were, managing to push it away towards another Infected who writhed on the ground in agony. Guns were raised and taeyong saw Johnny close his eyes. Mark held on to the barely conscious forms of Jeno and Jaemin, muttering prayers under his breath. Donghyuck was near, fists clenched-

-staring straight at him.

It was a risk. It would put a larger bounty on their heads and perhaps make their situation even worse. But these strangers, these people he had called friends deserved to live free for another day. Doyoung was dying in his arms, and time was running out.

He looked at Donghyuck, his eyes intense and blazing with fury. Like a spell, he spoke the words that seemed to burn on his tongue.

_Take Them Down. All of them._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Someone's gotta snap.


	6. The Glow

The woman situated behind the window in front of him seemed distracted.

Renjun couldn’t blame her, actually. Through the bulletproof window, he could see the Infected and scientists alike bustling around like a swarm of ants behind her. It wasn’t like the day before when people had walked here and there in an orderly manner. Something was terribly wrong.

“You put the toy ship in the fifteenth box, the apple in box seventy five and the egg in box twenty” Renjun managed to make out into the mic for the translator to translate automatically. The room they had placed him in was probably in the negatives in temperature. He could see water vapor spilling in a foggy breath from between his lips.

They had given him very thin clothing to wear, probably to increase the torture training. Renjun clenched his fingers in an attempt to keep them from falling numb. Every single nerve in his brain seemed to be frozen, making it harder for him to regain body control and to even think properly.

It almost made him forget the fact that he had been placed in a boiling hot room an hour ago. The tests were pretty much the same. He was brought into a room with many boxes and they’d show him a few toys. He’d be placed in a different room for half an hour before they asked him questions.

At one point, they thought of making him guess where a specific scientist was, but he followed Yang Yang’s advice and prevented his ability from finding him, making sure the scientists could see his brain functioning to activate him ability in the process.

It was a task he had to master in a few seconds, but it worked, somehow, and he was still off their radar. Renjun had seen some Infected wearing metal collars that didn’t seem to be removable. It made him unnerved. The fact that most of them had a Black stripe against their jackets made it even worse, because Renjun was a Black too.

“Thank you, Renjun. We will meet again in the lab for testing” the monotone voice of the translator in his ear stated and the door opened, much to his delight. Dragging his frozen legs, he made it out of the door to embrace the much warmer air outside the room.

People barely looked at him as they dashed past, some dragging large briefcases or holding wicked contraptions. They seemed to be headed in the same direction, but something told Renjun he had to stay away. The hallways were lit by the blinking red sirens, a sign of emergency.

“Renjun!” someone called, making the boy whip around, eyes wide. Chenle and Jisung were supporting a limp, barely conscious Lucas by his arms. There was a look of pure terror in Chenle’s eyes, and Renjun quickly took his place under Lucas’ arm before the boy could collapse.

“They overworked his experiments” Chenle gasped, quickly guiding them to the elevator to return to their dorm. “I don’t know what’s going on, but I think they found a powerful Infected”

The elevator door opened and Renjun cursed the fact that their dorm was the farthest away, feeling his legs threatening to buckle due to sudden after being under low temperature.

“Experiments?” Renjun questioned.

Chenle bit his lower lip, glancing worriedly at Lucas. “Lucas is a White, but he’s not an experimented White. His ability corresponds to the technology they built to exploit our abilities to their advantage.”

The dorm door creaked opened after a single knock and they almost literally threw Lucas onto Yang Yang’s lower bunk bed, heaving in exhaustion. Renjun felt his head spin at the information. He knew that the Infected were gathered to become Soldiers, but he never thought of being used as a literal weapon.

Yang Yang gently closed the door, a frown darkening his features.

“Brainwash happens to those whose abilities cannot be turned into or contained within weapons through technology. Lucas is an example of someone whose abilities can.” Yang Yang said, heading for the sink to wet a damp cloth.

“He can…cancel out abilities, right?” Renjun spoke.

Jisung nodded his head as he rearranged Lucas’s long limbs on the bed so he was more comfortable. The tension in the air was heavy, a revelation hanging within the spaces between them.

“They’v experimented the weapon on some other Whites” Chenle clenched his hands into fists. “The ones hit weren’t able to use their powers for an hour”

-

_Take them down. All of them._

When Mark had met Donghyuck, it was like being hit with a bucket of ice. There had been the feeling of something vibrating in his mind, as if trying to match the frequency of whatever glowing substance that Donghyuck could summon.

Mark could shatter class, break apart metal or anything brittle as long as he could vibrate at the right speed, but the glow Donghyuck produced didn’t seem to have matter, or maybe it did but it was so otherworldly that his mind couldn’t process it. He didn’t know if it was soft, or hard or even capable of being held in the palm of his hand. Something he was able to conclude was that it was incapable of being destroyed.

It was special, like Donghyuck.

So, when Tayeong made it back with Doyoung’s bloody form in his arms and a translucent glowing dome had formed around them, Mark knew that they were safe from harm. The deaf boy had stepped outside this dome to get a proper view of the people that were trying to hurt them.

Wind blew his hoodie down, revealing his glowing form and lifting his glowing hair as if it were fire. If Mark had not known who he was, he would have mistaken the boy for a ethereal being sent down to bring endless light.

“IT’S THE BOY! THEY HAVE THE BOY!” Someone was yelling. Mark made a move to pull Donghyuck back into the dome he had built, but the Glow was too strong for him to pass through.

“He’s going to take care of them” Taeyong said calmly, tending to Doyoungs wounds with the bandage they managed to buy that morning. “Can’t you feel it?”

Mark could definitely feel it. Goosebumps had risen on his arms, and his nerves were picking up on something that made him unnerved.

“WE NEED THE BOY ALIVE! SHOOT AT THE ONES IN THE SHIELD!”

“Bottling up your anger-” Taeyong sighed, looking up at the sky. “-can be a dangerous thing”

And the sky brightened.

It was as if Zeus had parted the clouds and tipped a glass of golden wine through the sky. It was as if the sun had liquefied and poured itself onto the Earth. It was as if a waterfall of honey had been created between the clouds to make Earth its lake.

Mark could name a thousand metaphors but none could come close to what he was witnessing. The clouds had parted and an endless stream of Donghyucks’ Glow pushed through right above them like an open faucet. It parted and streamed in all directions, a tsunami of golden Glow that enveloped the land around him, burying the Guards and Infected alike inside its grasp.

He could see the Glow ripple like water and slam against the buildings, the waves rising high until it towered over the Infected and Guards who were airborne and pushing them within the endless pits of Glow. Mark saw people struggling to raise their heads above the oncoming attack, to breathe and escape suffocation.

It made a small sense of Empathy latch itself into his heart.

“He created a tsunami” Taeil spoke in awe, his hands shaking as he witnessed the destruction around him. “He’s just a boy-“

“No one comes out a boy after being in the facility” Taeyong spoke in a tensed voice. “Not me…and not Donghyuck”

It was like being within the curve of a tsunami wave. There was a feeling of constant fear that it would collapse, even when it curved over you. There was screaming and yelling for the first minute, and terrible silence after that, but Donghyuck didn’t stop until he was sure no one in sight. He couldn’t hear the silence that came after the chaos.

The glow in his hair was the first to go, followed by the rest of his body. The glow that surrounded them disappeared, but the bodies did not. The Guards and teens their age were littering the ground, not breathing after being suffocated by a tsunami of Donghyucks’ Glow.

The small group of boys that had once been the ones in danger stood to witness the destruction one boy had caused. They stood, rigid, scared, confused and guilty of the deaths of so many people.

And Mark was the first to move towards the boy whose shoulders slumped as he regained emotional control, the guilt of a hundred deaths consuming him whole.

Mark stepped in front of him, watching the younger scan the wasteland he had created, eyes brimming with tears that could not shed due to the barrier of self-control that was engrained into his mind. He didn’t wait for the tears to spill. Mark enveloped Donghyuck in his arms, whispering that it wasn’t his fault, that they had been threatened and he had saved them.

But Donghyuck couldn’t hear, and all he could think about was what kind of monster the facility had managed to make out of him due to the curse of such an ability Nature had bestowed.

-

“We have to move before they come” Jaehyun said grimly. He was helping Jungwoo sip water from a bottle, the other still looking disoriented from the cable. “Taeyong…?”

Taeyong forced himself to look away from the two boys embracing each other and to focus on the task at hand. “Anemia. We need Jungwoo to help stitch his skin back up”

“That’s the problem” a weak voice spoke and all turned to Jeno who was struggling to sit up, the welts on his arms prominent against his pale skin. “I…I don’t think he can”

There was a tense silence, and Johnny gagged as his ability forced a precognition into his mind, making his body tremble with dread. “Jeno…what is it?”

“The cable wasn’t normal” came the slow answer, chaos ready to be ensued. “I…I can’t shift”

Panic.

“What do you mean?!!” Jaehyun almost begged from his spot. “Try HARDER. Maybe you’re still unhealed or something-“

“That’s the problem!” Jeno shot back, clearly distressed. “I felt the burn in my brain. I felt something snap like a cut cable somewhere in there and now I can’t use it!”

“Guys, stop” Taeyong spoke in a steady voice, struggling to keep calm. There was a dying person in his arms, and any reckless behavior could lead to more deaths. “I…I don’t think it’s permanent. I think it’s just to make us vulnerable. There’s no way they would make someone powerless without knowing the potential of the power to help in the war.”

His words brought a sense of calmness. Mark was walking towards them, Donghyuck trembling in his arms. The younger boy had raised his hoodie again, perhaps too scared to look at their reactions. They were disorganized, unable to think properly after the traumatic incident.

“We have to get off the road” Taeil said with authority. “They’ll search for us, and we need to be as far away from civilization if we want to treat our wounds”

It was a plan, but the number of them who were injured was too many.

“Jaehyun, if you could kindly…” Johnny gestured to Doyoung and the younger boy nodded. “Jeno, I think you can help Jaemin out. I’ll take Yuta, and I think Jungwoo is good to go. The rest can handle the extra bags and stuff.”

They struggled to make their way over the litter of bodies, Mark making sure to block Donghyuck from bumping into any of the corpses. The wall behind Taeils home was torn down, and they hobbled into the forest. Almost blindly following the quiet orders of Johnny, they stumbled over roots and uneven land, shaking away mosquitoes and softly bringing comfort to each other.

“How much longer?” Jaehyun called, panic etched into his low voice. Doyoung was wheezing, almost unable to breathe. “ Johnny?”

“Cave” was the answer as Johnny pushed some vines away, crouching down to slide down a slope. The others exchanged looks before following after him, Jaehyun levitating Doyoung in order to avoid jostling his body. When they reached the bottom, there was a decent sized dirt cave right at the foot of the slope, enough to fit all of them.

“Not bad” Jeno whispered mostly to himself, helping Jaemin inside.

They moved inside the cave as Johnny patted the walls and roof, making sure they were secure. Without wasting any time, Taeil undid Doyoungs bandages and gently set him down. When Taeyong pulled out a lighter, Mark took the hint and sprinted out to collect wood and leaves, coming back a few seconds later.

“Okay…okay…” Taeil muttered to himself as the fire burned, the smoke suppressed by a Glowing dome Donghyuck had created. “I need…I need to sterilize the knife.”

“T…The what?”

Eyes turned as Doyoung blinked around the daze of pain he felt. They had lifted his shirt up and the air near the fire was warm to his skin.

“The bullet in you torso and leg…we need to-“

“Don’t” Doyoung spoke, his voice shaking. “Don’t remove that thing if you have no idea how to”

He tried to lift himself up into a sitting position but the pain that came with it forced him down again. Jaehyun gently replaced Taeil to support Doyoungs head with his thigh. There was the chatter of crickets filling the restless night.

“L-life isn’t a movie” Doyoung whispered, breathing out a cold breathe as he shivered. Taeil set to applying pressure on the wound, Taeyong coming over with a water bottle, glancing knowingly at Doyoung. The latter hissed as Taeil gently cleaned the bullet wounds.“You take the bullet out, and I’ll die right here, right now”

It was a risk. They had little to no idea how long the effects of the cable would be, and how long Jungwoo would remain powerless. Johnny’s eyes flickered with doubt but Doyoung was insistent.

“Fine, we’ll wait until next morning” Jaehyun said and unfolded a blanket over him. “But you have to promise me, you’ll survive until then”

When he passed a hand over Doyoungs forehead, it was burning with fever, but he was shivering. Taeyong left them both, snuggling over beside Donghyuck and letting his brother lean into his presence. Mark seemed attached to him, and the twins were whispering quietly to each other. Jungwoo had fallen asleep next to Yuta.

“It takes more than a bullet to kill me” Doyoung said sleepily, closing his eyes. Jaehyun looked over at Johnny who nodded, the dreaded feeling in his mind clearing after hearing Doyoungs words.

He would be fine, they would be fine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay. Ever watched Naruto? Imagine Gaara's sand tsunami, but instead of it erupting from the ground, its pouring from the sky. 
> 
> I would appreciate it if you comment whose POV you want to read. Which character do you want to explore? There's 21 of them, and I'm just worried I can't cater to all 21. How do you think of the story?   
> Sorry if this chapter isn't that interesting.


	7. What you don't know (But I do)

_He couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t even stand._

_There was a wailing in his ear, a siren warning him that he had to get to his feet before they stuck him again. The blue walls were blinding compared to the rocky dark cell that they had kept him underground. His limbs were shaking violently, barely able to support him as he stumbled to his feet once more._

_“Lee Taeyong” the man behind him said calmly, as if in his hand he did not hold an electric whip that was stained with his blood. “I’m going to ask you to do it again. Those people in front of you mean nothing.”_

_He wanted to plead, to get on his knees and tell him again that that was not how his ability worked. He couldn’t wipe out a memory like a blank canvas; much less shove a new one in. But that answer had resulted in his back peeling off until there was barely any clear skin left._

_“I know you did not try, in fear that you can actually do it. You need not have any humanity for these Whites. They do not serve any purpose except to be experimented on.”_

_But that wasn’t all. There was a single figure located to his right, crumpled on the floor in a sobbing mess. The person his life had orbited around, that he had made his reason to keep on going, to keep on fighting._

_“If you cannot, Lee Taeyong, I shall-“_

_“Wait!”_

_And then Donghyuck was screaming again, his body arching off the ground and rigid as endless pain was sent to his nerves and wreaked havoc in his brain. He could see the wires embedded deep into Donghyucks skin, the source of the inflicted pain. Donghyucks Glow flickered on and off like a dying bulb, threatening to break through while being suppressed by whatever strength Donghyuck could muster._

_It was a gamble. Either they would force Donghyuck to kill the Whites through inflicted pain, or Taeyong could try and manipulate their minds into becoming mindless soldiers. It was a secret promise made between the Infected. Do not let them get what they want. Do not show your ability’s full extent if it might be the endgame. Better die._

_The Whites were terrified, a dozen chained to each other in a straight line, awaiting their fate._

_“You have waited long enough!”_

_Tayeong barely had time to brace himself as the whip slammed against his back, forcing him to the ground and breaking into his skin. The pool of blood that he had formed grew as liquid life dripped down his torso, onto the floor._

_Endless training and abuse couldn’t have ever made him immune to the immense pain, the electric jolt that sent his body into another spasm. Then there was the pain in his mind as his mental walls went collapsing from pain, memories of so many people mixing and colliding and assimilating, frying his brain._

_“Stop, Stop it!” Taeyong screamed but it fell on deaf ears. He gathered his strength to force the memories out. The pain in his body felt all the more prominent without the pained daze. “I CAN’T do it, please!”_

_“WHY CAN’T YOU TRY?!”_

_Pain_

_“I’m trying! I can’t do it!”_

_“Liar!”_

_Donghyuck was screaming. Crying. Sobbing._

_The whip was force onto his broken form again and again, and he was screaming, and Donghyuck was screaming, and the Whites were screaming and-_

**_”Taeyong wake up!”_ **

****

Taeyong jolted awake as if he had been electrocuted. For a moment, his surrounding were unfamiliar, the walls of the dirt cave looking a little too similar to the walls of their cell in the Underground. Donghyuck was holding onto him tightly, eyes wide as saucers and brimming with tears. Taeyong was trembling from head to toe.

Yuta was squatted right in front of him, a hand pressing down on his legs. He had been kicking out and struggling against thin air in his sleep. Jeno and Jaemin crept into view, each holding a drumstick in hand, and Tayeong could smell something roasting.

“How did you-“

There was a muffled cry of pain and Taeyong jumped in shock, his hand gripping his pocket where he knew he had slipped a dagger.

“It’s nothing” Jeno stated, pushing him down before he could spring up. “He’s just getting the bullet out.”

The bullet out?

Oh.

Doyoung.

Jaemin moved aside to let Taeyong see what was happening. Jaehyun was situated behind Doyoung, securing a cloth between the others teeth to avoid him from biting his tongue. Taeil was focused on trying to retrieve the bullet using a sterilized knife while Jungwoo sat beside, his palms cupped together.

“Got it” Taeil said and pulled out a bullet from Doyoungs torso. Jungwoo leaned over and placed his palms over he wound, face scrunched up. Doyoung was screaming behind the cloth, Mark holding his legs down while Johnny held both his hands to avoid too much movement.

“The process is rather…painful” Yuta explained, pushing his long hair behind his ear. “It’s like that cause he’s not actually healing, just reversing the process.”

“Last one, kid” said Taeil, pushing the tweezers into the barely healed skin before easing out the bullet. The process looked excruciating, and Taeyong could actually relate. It wasn’t as if the scientists had gone easy on him at the facility. The thought made him cringe and he could feel his back and ribs itch slightly from the memory.

Donghyuck tapped his arm. _Did you dream of the facility?_

Taeyong ruffled his hair endearingly before signing back.

_Yes. Don’t worry._

The phrase seemed to make Donghyuck uneasy. He mindlessly brought his hand up to chew on his nails before Tayeong pushed it back down.

_Was it the day I killed them?_

There it was. The quiet understanding that they had obtained after nights of relying on each other for body heat on that cemented floor, spotted with blood. Days that had passed in there blurred together, a meaningless schedule they had endured to survive.

_We killed many people in the facility, Hyuck-_

_You know which ones I’m talking about. It’s okay, hyung. We promised not to let them reach their goal. I wouldn’t have begged for you to do it even if I could hear._

No…he couldn’t have. If he had been able to look up from his position on the floor, he would have the faces of the Whites engrained in his mind. The look of despair as they realized their fates were sealed and that they would not survive. The way one of them had mouthed to him that it was okay to let hem die, that it was the one mercy he could give.

_But you can’t, and you didn’t hear them beg for help. I can try to forget the other Infected and people we were forced to kill in the facility, but they keep coming back to haunt me. I could have saved them if I tried-_

_But you didn’t have to. If you were able to do it, who knows what would become of the rest of us. How many of us would they force you to…change._

To change. To manipulate with his own godforsaken ability until they were nothing more than robots, meant to spread war and perhaps not only Infected, but the government officials or even the leaders of every country. There was one boy who had an ability akin to that…but he used it to find his way to the roof before the scientists could lay a hand on him.

_I can’t forget them. They could have lived, but they did not. We could have gotten out with fewer injuries, but we did not._

_But we are out now, and that’s what matters. We’re going to save the others, every single one of them._

“I’m sorry for interrupting your convo and stuff” Jaemin spoke awkwardly as Taeyong turned to stare at him. “But it’s kinda confusing for us…you know…non sign language users”

Tayeong raised his eyebrows expectantly. “It was a private. How did you get the meat?”

“Oh, this?”

Jaemin looked down at his drumstick before sharing a look with Jeno. Now that Taeyong looked clearly, Jeno had a blood stain on his lips.

“They turned into wolves” Yuta explained, holding out a hand to get Taeyong up. “Anyway…we’re thinking of going down to the river Jeno and Jaemin found during their hunt to clean up. We can’t go by ourselves and leaving anyone behind would be dangerous.”

“Smart” Taeyong said, and stood, dusting the dirt off of his pants. Mark jogged over to get Donghyuck up before Taeyong could help. He cast a look at Mark who avoided his gaze, color rushing to his cheeks.

-

“Pass the soap”

“This isn’t soap”

Jaehyun looked at Mark incredulously, eyeing the bottle the other had in his hand. “Then what’s that?”

“Lotion”

Jaehyun rubbed his face with his palms, trying to comprehend the fact that none of them had soap to clean themselves. By the river bank, he could see the twins RUBBING flowers onto their skin as if that would be any help, and the fact that Jungwoo was the one picking the flowers didn’t help.

The river was cold, but not freezing. Taeil and Yuta were caring for Doyoung, the cold risking his fever spiking since it might drop his immunity. Jaehyun could only sympathize with him, since Doyoung was the most serious about hygiene since Kun left.

Kun…

“Hey!” Taeyong called out and threw something over. Jaehyun scrambled to catch the object, almost falling into the water when it slipped in his hand. It was a cube of soap, small and white colored.

“Finally! Someone with a bit of common sense!” Jaehyun cheered before Johnny came over and smacked the back of his head, the younger stumbling forward.

“You have no right to say that, idiot” Johnny said teasingly, taking the cube once Jaehyun was finished creating a decent amount of it on his palms. “Also, you haven’t taken off your shirt”

“I don’t need to-“

“Yes you do. We’re washing that thing, too” Johnny stated and gave him a knowing look. Jaehyun looked at his soaped hands regretfully before raising his arms, letting the taller boy pull his shirt over his head, baring his milky skin spotted with bruises from their fight. At the sight of his body, Johnny whistled appreciatively, making the latter elbow him in the stomach.

“You make it seem as if we didn’t share a bathroom before to save water” Johnny wheezed, pulling off his own shirt to expose his own set of very prominent abs. Jaehyun retorted by smacking them with his palm before sending a threatening look at the youngsters who were staring at them with knowing grins.

“Don’t make me smack that smile off your face!” Jaehyun called as they waded towards him, seeing that they had soap. Jeno and Jaemin had stripped too, and Jaehyun wondered how many others had a fresh set of abs. This kids couldn’t have been working out secretly behind his back, could they?

“It’s a puberty thing” Jeno snorted once he caught Jaehyun staring. Jaemin flipped his wet hair back, hooking an arm around his twins shoulders and laughing heartily.

“We live off of junk food” Yuta rationalized, finally soaking himself within the water. “Was this a pack or what?”

“Don’t know, don’t care” Doyoung stated, slipping off his own shirt only to pull it down when Johnny decided to fix his hand over his waist. “JOHNNY! PRIVACY!”

“No homo, bro” Johnny said, raising his hands in mock surrender. “Your waist is TINY”

“It’s snatched” Mark called, laughing to himself (bless the child, he had an extra tank top). The elder ones stared at him in confusion, not fully understanding the slang.

Taeil rolled his eyes, not even batting an eyelash at the many sets that were in his view. In fact, he decided to sink to his neck once he had his clothes off, not letting any of them see his body. That plan, however, failed when no other than Taeyong came over to pull him up by the waist with a yell of “NO HOMO!”

“Man, the old dude is fit!”

“Who’s the OLD DUDE?”

“You gotta get shirtless, too” Taeil pointed out, looking at Taeyong and Donghyuck with betrayal. “Everyone else did”

Taeyong rolled his eyes before pulling his shirt off, throwing it to the side where Doyoung was collecting them up to wash. When he turned to help Donghyuck, there was a collective gasp followed by silence.

His back was crisscrossed with dark scars that were obviously from a whip, the skin scabbed slightly as if he had not been able to rest properly to let it heal. There were more at the side of his body, filling his upped back to lower back. On his ribs was the burnt ‘S’, forever imprinted onto his skin.

Then there was Donghyuck. He was thinner than they thought. His back had pink patches that looked wrinkly, clustered together and spreading out like the roots of a tree. Jaehyun knew where those came from. His sister used to get burn scars when ironing his clothes for school, and he knew how painful those were. There were also cuts on his stomach, as of someone had purposely carved a pattern on his skin deep enough for the scar to remain permanent.

“I can feel your stares” Taeyong spoke up, turning around, a sad smile on his face. “It’s okay, I don’t think Kun or Renjun would end up like us if we get there fast enough”

Jaehyun shook his head. “No…do they…does it still hurt you?”

Taeyong shook his head, clearly flustered by all the attention that was directed onto him. It was strange because most of them had fit bodies of being well fed even after the war. Taeyong could only sigh at the state his body was in, wondering if he could have become like that if the Facility ever cared enough to let them eat properly.

The rest of the bath was completed in a more quiet manner. Taeyong felt like it was his fault, as if every single thing he did, every single scar he owned was a picture of what could happen to Kun and Renjun, although the reality wasn’t actually like that. People knew the Facility’s system, its’s surface or whatever happened on the upper floors.

The underground floors of the Facility would remain the secret of the scientists and the ones involved.

 _We should tell them_ was what Donghyuck signed once they tracked back to the cave with disposable towels over their shoulders. _They shouldn’t have to worry about their friends._

 _We might make them worry even more_ Taeyong rationalized, but he knew that wasn’t just it. He knew that he would not be able to gain control of his memories once he relived it. There were the nightmares and flashbacks and unneeded hysterics he rather not go through.

_What if I tell them and you translate. We’ll tell them from my perspective, not yours, and you won’t have to relive them again, just translate mine._

_Is that any different?_

_Perhaps it is. Besides, they have to know that there is an underground level to the facility if they intend to break in._

_But what after that? We run? We hide?_

_We live. We get another chance, and that’s better._

_-_

When he woke up, he was tied down to a metal table, the way he always was whenever they decided to hook him up to the IV. He could see the clear liquid of whatever that was flowing freely into his arm, cold and numbing.

Some people suffered through agony, some didn’t feel anything. Some would suddenly have untamed anger or loss of control while some seemed to become more docile. Some never woke up.

It was always a gamble with the experiments, either he lives or not, if it works or not. Jisung found himself wondering if he would become one of those persistent ghosts that always haunted him ever since the apocalypse.

“Hey, Sungie”

Speak of the devil.

“Not talking, yet” the ghost, Hansol, smirked before leaning over him so they could make eye contact. Jisung often wondered why Hansol didn’t just fly like the others. “I wonder how you can remain silent after befriending that boy, Chenle”

Jisung didn’t answer. He never answered. When it came to humans and ghosts, both were similar. If you kept silent, they won’t bother you anymore. The habit deemed problematic when it came to his Dad, but he couldn’t let the ghosts know he was capable of speech.

Well, except Hansol, cause he was the first one Jisung ever talked to.

“Don’t worry. I checked the medical records. The serum won’t work on you.” Hansol comforted before sitting at the edge of the table. He reached out to hold onto Jisungs tied hand, feeling much more solid that Jisung remembered. “They’re coming. They made it passed the city.”

Jisung’s eyes widened. He had heard from Yang Yang that Renjun had his own friends who might be on their way there, but Jisung hadn’t really believed that there would actually be people who could break past the walls.

“When you and Chenle made it through the woods, do you remember the place you found? The place that I had left behind years ago?”

Jisung nodded slightly, eyeing the CCTV that was fixated on him.

“They’re at the cave, and I’ll lead them there. They have almost a dozen out there, and they’re going to try and break the place down. Do you remember when I told you that you and Chenle had to be caught? It was because there were only two of you, but now…now is the right time to fix it.”

Jisung could feel dread coursing in his veins. The time he and Chenle had waited for ever since they had turned themselves in was coming. He had no idea what Hansol was planning, and how he intended for things to happen. It was the secret both he and Chenle had kept to themselves, one they did not dare to share in order for whatever Hansol plan was to work perfectly.

“I’ll bring them to the lair” Hansol stated, his eyes hard. “I need you to tell your friends once it’s time.”

Jisung wanted to scream at him that he was tired of the many riddles that Hansol was telling, that he had no idea what TIME the ghost meant. God, was this whole thing tiring.

“I trust you, Jisung” Hansol said , standing to walk away. “Thank you so much for understanding why I let it happen.”

Bold of him to assume Jisung had forgiven him for doing what he did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh...Jisung...you know something? ;)


	8. Trapped

“We’re not getting anywhere, like this” Doyoung chided as he burned the mosquito repellant. “The faster we move from here, the better”

It was still early, the sky beginning to light up as noon neared them faster than expected. Days seemed to pass faster than ever since the apocalypse happened, and Doyoung wondered if it was somehow at fault.

“There might not be anywhere else worth sleeping in from here” Johnny pointed out, attempting to comb his hair using his fingers. If Doyoung didn’t feel like the pasty mashed potato their school canteen used to serve, he would have started lecturing him about his long nails.

But Jungwoo’s Aura had left him feeling as if he had a balloon filled with water rocking in his stomach, and that was about as nauseating as a ferry ride.

Probably sensing his distress, Jaehyun reached out to pull Doyoung between his outstretched legs, comfortably settling his arms around his waist. The act made eyes look at them peculiarly, especially Taeyong whose pair seemed to flicker curiously between the two. Johnny snickered and mouthed a barely concealed ‘NO HOMO’, which made Mark smack him in embarrassment.

They wouldn’t understand their relationship without thinking they were hiding some sort of secret feelings towards each other. Doyoung used to allow people to think they were together since he decided to not bother to explain their connection. Besides, it made the girls give him the space he needed to study.

“I don’t know why-“ Johnny started off. “But I just feel like there’s something you guys wanted to tell us.”

‘You guys’ indicating Taeyong and Donghyuck who were huddled up together as usual. Their clinginess to each other struck them as peculiar. It was as if it was a coping mechanism, or a self-implanted habit. Doyoung wondered if they were even able to function if they were separated.

“It’s only right that you know more about the facility.” Taeyong spoke, his voice wavering despite his obvious attempt to control it. Perhaps the others couldn’t spot his discomfort, but years of debate training had Doyoung aware. There was no better way to manipulate your enemy than to understand what they were feeling.

“The scars you saw. Not all the Infected get them. Not all of them enter the cells.”

Taeyong looked over at Donghyuck who nodded, a side smile lifting one cheek as if he were saying “Someone’s gotta do it.”

Then he was signing rapidly, his facial expressions shifting rapidly with his hands. Sign language always made Doyoung fascinated, but studies became the barrier for him to start learning.

“The Facility just the surface. It’s safe to assume Renjun and Kun were both situated on the upper floors where they get dorms, beds to sleep in and follow a daily routine to train their abilities or to be experimented on. It wouldn’t seem that bad, more alike to a boarding school except that you’re going through some torture training. But the training there is a walk in the park compared to the lower floors.”

The cave was quiet, taking in the information. The fear that Kun or Renjun could be whipped or burned or beaten to death seeping out with Taeyongs words. Donghyuck paused, looking faraway, before continuing.

“Some Infected were placed in lower cells. The ones that are either uncontrollable, receive punishment or…like us…had potential.”

“I don’t get it. You told us you were categorized based on your potential use” Yuta spoke, pulling his legs to his chest. “What differs you from the others?”

“Their master plan” Taeyong said. Donghyuck stopped for a moment, looking worried but Taeyong shook his head, signing back comfortingly. “The government wants world domination, total control of what we do to the point that they could make the other countries bow before them. There were specific abilities that could lead them to that goal.

But we…the Infected... promised not to tell if we were ever able to come near to a potential user. The one person who could manipulate minds killed himself…became a respected person after that. A hero to the Infected. Other potential abilities could be ones that are overpowered…limitless…like Donghyucks.”

“They wanted someone with mind control” Doyoung said slowly, understanding why. Why waste time fighting in War when an army could be controlled by a single person. Why bother sending soldiers when a country can be demolished in a second. “Is that something you can do?”

“Never tried, never will” Taeyong answered shortly. “Better I have no idea what my ability could potentially do than live with the knowledge.”

Doyoung felt Jaehyun shift uncomfortably behind him. “What happens in the lower levels?”

“Torture” Taeyong spoke softly, his fists clenching. Donghyucks smaller hands barely enveloped his brothers completely, but it was enough to ease Taeyongs nerves enough to make his hands unclench. Seconds passed and they waited. They waited the way they did whenever Taeyong had flashbacks, patient and controlled.

It was during those times when thoughts like “Thank God it wasn’t me” or “I would never have survived” came, and they were once again reminded that they had never experienced being captured and taken into the Facility, Upper or Lower level. Looking at Taeyong struggling to find words to pull himself out of his own mind and to grasp reality once more was like a living proof that they were lucky.

But some people weren’t.

“It’s okay if you don’t want to say” Jeno said.

“We won’t push” Jaemin continued.

“But I need to get this out” Taeyong smiled sadly, letting go of Donghyucks hands so the younger could continue to sign. “If the upper floors are meant to gradually improve an Aura…the lower floors are where you’re forced to improve. They’d do anything to push out the last of your energy, to force you to do things you could never hadve imagined.

His hand mindless went to his back, grabbing it at the memory of what had happened. “They make you hurt others, hurt the Whites or some random people. They hurt you…inflict pain and make you sleep on cemented floors behind metal walls. It’s where the worse brainwash procedures are carried out, too. The ones that go beyond serums, drugs and trust.”

There was a tensed silence.

“It’s where you’re forced into obedience. I’m not sure what goes on…but I always hear faint screams from the floor above our cell. It’s horrible, but I doubt they’ll be sent there fast. We can make it.”

“Make it, we shall” Jungwoo smiled, clapping his hands together once he saw Taeyong deflate, indicating the last of his words. “We know we’re days behind, and we might not make it there in time if we stay here another night.”

“The track through the woods won’t be easy” Taeil rationalized. “With Doyoung still looking like he’s about to vomit, we won’t go far.”

Mark shook his head, clearly in a dilemma. “All due respect, hyung, but we don’t have time. Kun and Renjuns lives are on the line. Another night here and they might be…gone…before we arrive.”

“We might be dead before we can even try breaking them out if nature has her way” Yuta pointed out. “It’s not like this place is going to crumble and reappear once we step out of here!”

As the last word left his lips, their surroundings shook like an earthquake.

Their eyes flickered to the ceiling as they went scrambling into the arms of the ones closest to them. Doyoung wondered if the Government had finally found them and the rumble was the sound of their plane landing in the middle of the forest.

Bits of dust and small stones fell from the ceiling as the ground trembled underneath them, but that was the least of their concern.

“WHAT ON EARTH!” Someone screamed (probably Johnny) as the hill above their dirt cave came sliding down like a landslide, building up into a wall right at the mouth of their cave and completely sealing off their exit. All through it, they were screaming and yelling, clutching each other for dear life.

Doyoung held his breath, ready for the soil to come flooding into the cave like a tsunami to bury them until some random archeologist came and dug up their bones for science or something. Jaehyun was hugging him so tight, it kinda hurt. In an attempt to keep calm, he counted the seconds he had before death.

12…13…14…

23…24…25…

The rumbling stopped. The world no longer shook and trembled, eerily quiet as they fought for breath. Pants filled the air along with the wet sobs from tears of fear. Mark was still muttering prayers under his breath somewhere, but it was too dark to see.

“At least we’re alive” Taeyong stated, just before the ground underneath them crumbled and they were falling endlessly, screaming all over again as they flailed midair in an attempt to find some protruding object to grab on. Doyoung could feel his overgrown hair smacking his cheeks, his stomach doing somersaults as his the wind whistled past his ears.

They were totally gonna die.

-

There was no way he was going to let them die.

God forbid Tayeong lose his mind from the amount of chaos surrounding him along with his own distant panic. Donghyuck had disappeared out of his reach, somewhere within the darkness that blinded them. He heard Mark screeching somewhere near him, cut off by the occasional sound of gagging.

Think Taeyong, think

Telekinesis.

I can read Jaehyuns mind. If I can locate him…

Wait…

**_OMFG WE’RE GONNA FUGGIN DIE OML HELP US I DON’T WANNA DIE HERE GOD PLEASE_ **

Taeyong flinched back, his hands shooting up to press at his temples. Oh yeah…Jaehyun was definitely panicking. But Jaehyun was holding onto Doyoung, right? Maybe he could…

**We are totally gonna die. I could have donated my body for science but no…I had to follow this idiot into a suicidal mission and get myself killed-**

Yep, definitely Doyoung. Taeyong could feel him a few meters away, but how on Earth could they possibly communicate to get Jaehyun to think beyond his chaotic mind? It was probably a lost cause and Taeyong was more than ready to accept death as it seemed that it would be over quite soon and-

“I can hear water!” Jeno screamed . “Get into a safer position!”

Taeyongs eyes snapped open and focused. Indeed, he could hear the sound of a waterfall along with the shallow echoes of moving water. Almost immediately, he positioned himself straight to decrease his surface area, making it easier for him to break the surface without risking too many broken bones, but there was still a higher risk of them dying anyway

There was the sound of someone getting slapped and the muffled sound of yelling before a warmth enveloped his body, like warm air. It was Jaehyun, slowing down their fall with telekinesis. Now they had a better chance at survival.

“I GOT HYUCK!” Mark yelled somewhere. God, when did Mark start calling his little brother Hyuck? What was it with these youngsters and pet names? “Who’s got the old guy?”

“Who’re you calling OLD GUY?” Came Taeils voice but he was quickly shushed by Johnny, the latter somewhere behind where Taeyong was now. He seemed to be muttering under his breath.

“It’s coming! Hold your breath!” Johnny yelled and they had a split second to obey before they hit the water. Taeyong felt the breath threaten to be pushed out of his lungs from the impact but he held on, flailing blindly in the dark water.

**_Shoot I lost grip of Doie! Where is he?_ **

Taeyong felt Jaehyuns thoughts first and proceeded to swim toward him, grabbing him through the darkness and pushing him up. The next thought came from Doyoung, situated a few meters under him. He was running out of oxygen, barely able to make progress in his effort to reach the surface. Taeyong all but yanked him up, pulling him along as he swam.

They broke surface, gasping for air. The only ones up were Jaehyun, Taeil and the twins. Jeno and Jaemin were shifting into dolphins, clearly breathless.

“I can…huh…pull them up” Jaehyun panted, rubbing water out of his eyes. “I can’t see though-“

Taeyong pushed Doyoung towards Johnny, panicked at their lack of members. Suddenly, the water glowed yellow, a sign that Donghyuck had started to Glow. Jaehyun and Taeyong exchanged glances before diving back in along with the twins in search for the other teens.

Mark was limp, his wrist gripped by Donghyuck who was struggling to pull him up, the latter way too heavy. Jeno and Jaemin moved to take them, but Donghyuck pushed them away, catching sight of Jaehyun and Taeyong. They needed his light.

Yuta and Jungwoo were not in sight. Donghyuck spread out his palm and streams of glow shot through the water, lighting up the dark until they could make out two figures intertwined with each other a few meters down from them. Jaehyun reached out and reeled them in using telekinesis, his effort much faster than any attempt at swimming towards them.

Taeyong swam towards Donghyuck, nodding before they kicking to the surface, their air running out quickly. Once they broke surface, Johnny had a hold of them, pulling them to land nearby. Donghyuck choked, receiving a pat on the back from his brother as they plopped onto hard surface, tired and confused.

Two dolphins were helping Jaehyun drag Yuta and Jungwoo to shore. Both were away and bleary eyed, empty bottles in their hands. Now that Taeyong could see more clearly, Jungwoo was the only one with a bag. They had inhaled the air from the empty bottles once they ran out of breath. Genius.

“ ***, Wake up, kiddo!“ someone was cursing and Tayeong rolled to his stomach, pushing himself up to his knees. He looked over where Taeil was frantically pressing Marks’s chest and blowing air into his mouth. The boy was unconscious, deathly pale. “GOD, MARK!”

“I got him, I got him!” Jungwoo panted out, dragging his soaked body towards the younger and placing his hand over Marks chest. “J-Jae-“

Jaehyun was at Marks head, tilting it back so his mouthw as open. His palm hovered over the boys’ face, trembling with excess adrenaline. Water forced itself out of Marks mouth and the younger boy choked, instantly pressed down as Jungwoo’s Aura set to work.

There was a chorus of relieved sighs, everyone plopping to the floor in exhaustion. Jaemin didn’t even seem to have the energy to change back completely, his legs still a dolphin tail, making him look like some strange mermaid abomination. Yuta was draped over Jungwoo, the boy drained after the experience along with instant use of his Aura.

“What was that?” Doyoung coughed wetly, heaving in another breath. “What just happened?”

Johnny shook his head, water droplets from his hair flying in all directions. He stood, hands on his waist before looking around. Taeyong followed suit, helping his brother to his feet. The place they had landed in was indeed a lake, a stream of water sprouting like a waterfall from the wall. The water flowed into a small cave and disappeared out of sight.

Where they were was at the end of the lake, behind them a tunnel that led into the dark. When Taeyong looked up, it occurred to him that they would have probably died if Jaehyun hadn’t slowed their fall. It was dark all the way up.

“Is it a trap?” Yuta asked, pushing himself off of Jungwoo.

Taeyong shook his head, stretching his sore limbs. “I think it was intentional. We were meant to fall.”

“So a test?” Taeil piped up. “This was a test of worthiness or something?”

“I have no idea” Taeyong said, sitting back onto the floor. “There might be no hope for us to get out of here except to go through the tunnel behind us. We need to replenish our energy first”

“True, that” the twins chorused, sharing a water bottle. Thank God Jungwoo’s bag held all the water and food supplies. They needed that the most. Doritos and mineral water (and a single soda can) was passed to each of them until there were no pants echoing off the cave walls.

“Good things happen after something bad ends?” Jungwoo offered.

Mark grinned. “Well, I almost died. It better be something good”

They rose to their feet exchanging worried glances at the dark tunnel. Donghyuck took that as a cue to start glowing like a human lightstick. When Taeyong realized most of them were suppressing laughter, he nudged Johnny, hard.

Johnny reeled back in feigned pain. “Hey, he looks like a male Rapunzel like that. Glowing hair and stuff.”

“He does not!” Taeyong retorted, crossing his arms. Jaehyun slung an arm over his shoulders chuckling.

“You gotta lay off the kid. He’s pretty much capable in handling himself”

“He can’t hear you guys. And someone’s gotta tell him that the people around him are not good guys.” was the answer, but there was a tinge of humor in his voice. “You’re bad bad people in this bad bad world”

Jaehyun leaned into him even more, closing the distance between them. “So what if I am”

There was the sound of gagging from behind them and they whipped around to see Jeno and Jaemin snickering among themselves as Mark closed Donghyucks eyes. Yuta was feigning taking photographs with Jungwoo smiling apologetically.

“Piss off” Tayeong called with a smile. He caught sight of Doyoung who was walking behind Johnny, his arms crossed and looking rather sullen. Taeyong nudged Jaehyun hard, his eyes flickering to the others best friend and Jaehyuns arms retracted, his eyes conveying an unspeakable message.

Taeyong literally shoved him off, looking at Doyoung hard before looking back at Jaehyun. God, just get the fudging message and fudging GO.

Jaehyun slipped away to move beside Doyoung, snaking his arms within the others. Doyounsg head turned away from Jaehyun, but Tayeong could see the start of a smile lingering on is lips. Taeyong sent a thumbs up at Jaehyun before turning away, letting Donghyuck squeeze his way beside him and Johnny, enjoying their presence.

There he was. The affectionate Donghyuck he knew.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter and the one after this will focus on the Finding team. The chapter after this will reveal the significance of Hansols role in the story and the building of their world (he plays a BIG part) and the chapter after that will focus more on the Surviving team. I hope you liked this chapter!
> 
> Ps, do comments loads because I realllyyy love reading them.


	9. The Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They realize the reason things were the way they were.

They had almost gotten caught. They had almost gotten shot. They had almost drowned.

Yuta would give anything to be rid of the many ‘almost’ followed by ‘anything related to death’ stuff that has happened since he decided to join the top two best students plus the tallest student in the school on a life changing adventure he regretted for the thousandth time.

Before, he would literally long onto Quotev to see what super power or mystical creature he would get based on the quiz and such, but that stuff became all too real. At one point, Yuta wasn’t even sure that life was real.

And then there was the appearance of the others, which was even worse, and they were YOUNG. God forbid he ever end up sacrificing himself to save one of these terrified children along the way. That mentality changed when he met Taeyong and Donghyuck. Donghyuck was no doubt, younger, than he was, but that didn’t make the look in his eyes anywhere near naïve.

He had probably seen and experienced stuff worse than a war veteran. He’s seen some crap, and that terrified Yuta.

Yuta had become so many people ever since the apocalypse. His friends could never understand how his ability affected his mind He might have been in control, but the person was still screaming somewhere in his mind before he released them.

When he forced their body towards a suicidal intent, he had felt so many things, especially during the fight in the city. Some were begging him to stop so they could repent. Some conceded, accepting their death and praying somewhere in his mind. Then came the fear, the mix of guilt and anguish and regret as their lives flashed before their eyes.

And Yuta would have to pull out of their bodies as they succumbed to death, leaving them alone in their agony and fear.

“You’re thinking rather loudly” Mark spoke, kicking at a small stone as they walked down the tunnel. “I can feel stress radiating off of you.”

Yuta suppressed a grimace. “Yeah…trying to get my emotions together”

“Must have been hell for you-“ the younger spoke casually, as if it were a simple topic. Yuta felt himself relaxing considerably. “-ever since the city fight. You’ve been quiet since we left. I mean…you used to have anger issues, no offence-“

“None taken” he said automatically, receiving a grin.

“-but you’re more calm, now. It’s strange because it’s like looking at a whole other you” Mark smiled to himself, albeit sadly. “I don’t know of its just me or something-“

“It’s not you, it’s me” Yuta comforted quickly before Mark could ramble on. “My way of thinking…my mentality…kind of merges with whoever I’m possessing. It’s weird because I can’t trust my own judgment, my own choices. Like the guy with a machine gun. He only thought of killing and the one in the helicopter was more reserved, cautious. It’s like fighting with myself about what I want, but it’ll clear up.”

Yuta shrugged, nudging the younger boy playfully. “At least my ability doesn’t make me as clumsy as you.”

Mark nodded, admitting the fact. He used to have trouble figuring out if he was moving at normal speed. He’s trip over his own feet and talk too fast or too slow. But it gave him killer reflexes, and that was probably worth the trouble.

“WOAH-!”

Donghyuck and Taeyong stopped abruptly as Johnny was sent to the floor, tripping over a bundle of something that he had not noticed. Yuta wondered how Johnny was even able to miss it with a living light bulb walking right next to him.

The group stopped as Johnny picked up the object, pushing himself to his feet. It was clearly some kind of fabric, old enough to send dust flying when Johnny unraveled it. Yuta cupped a hand over his nose as Johnny flapped it slightly so they could see the whole thing.

It was a jacket.

Taeil let out a broken sound, reaching for the jacket with both hands. Looking at him strangely, Johnny let the elder man hold the fabric, the latter turning the jacket in his hands, searching for something. He flipped the sleeve, dusting it off to reveal something written in black marker.

**JS**

“What’s that? What does it mean?” Jeno asked, bewildered at how Taeil had started sobbing. “Who’s that?”

“My son…Jisung” Taeil shook his head in grief, wiping tears threatening to spill from his eyes. “He ran away with this kid…Chenle. I thought they had taken him. The Guards always said he was at the Facility.”

“He might have made it here first” Doyoung spoke softly, placing a gentle hand on Taeils shoulder. Taeil shrugged his hand away, taking full speed through the dark tunnel as if possessed.

“HYUNG!”

They ran after him, Mark deciding not to make the elder spooked by running too fast. Yuta brushed his hand against the tunnel wall as he ran, feeling it against his skin. They were going faster, an obvious slope going down. The only sounds that echoed were their pattering feet and pants.

“Man, can he run” Johnny huffed, wiping his sweaty brow.

-

They saw his silhouette. That shouldn’t be possible unless there was a light source.

“Fudging finally” Jeno coughed dryly, hands on his knees.

Jaehyun supported Doyoung who was bent over so far he was almost on the floor. One of his hands clutched his stomach, not ceasing its grip even with it expanding and contracting rapidly, a habit courtesy of years of flute training. 

Jaehyun saw Taeyong straighten up. “Where are we?”

When Jaehyun looked up, he saw a space big enough to fit all of them, a table of stone in the middle with a single source of light coming from what seemed to be a glowing blue orb. He felt the first itch of curiosity threatening to make him touch the thing, which might also be the reason he often lost when playing video games, falling for traps way too easily.

Jungwoo knocked on the walls, his mouth pinched into a small pout. “Solid and stable”

Jeno carefully guided his other half AWAY from the wall, seemingly anxious if it would activate some weird stuff that would put their lives in danger once again. There was no way out of the room besides where they had come from.

Dead end.

“Well, isn’t this fantastic!” Jungwoo cheered sarcastically. “We’re doomed.”

Taeyong reeled back, his hand shooting towards his head. He let out a low groan. Donghyuck shot from his place to support his brother, clearly spooked. Taeyong placed a hand on the table for support, his eyes pressed closed.

“What is it, Taeyong?” Johnny asked frantically, reaching for the bag for water.

“Something’s knocking” came the barely audible answer, cut off by a grunt of pain. “Someone’s trying to get in.”

The blue orb seemed to shine brighter, as if it were insisting for Taeyong to give it. It flickered once, twice. Jaehyun could almost imagine a voice screaming _COME ON I DON’T HAVE MUCH TIME_

“Curse the galaxy and everything in it” Taeyong spoke, but there was something different. Taeil pulled the twins back, dread coursing through his veins. “Just let me IN, I’m not going to do anything weird. Stop fighting!”

Donghyuck stumbled back, hands over his ears. His eyes were wide, bewildered. Mark automatically had the younger in his arms, holding him up.

“T-Tae?” Doyoung whispered eyes wide. Taeyong jerked his head to one side violently, sighing heavily. His eyes remained closed, but his posture changed, no longer to one of pain. Relaxed…serene...different in a way they couldn’t place a finger on.

“Sorry…I can’t speak to you guys the way I can speak to Jisung. Need a host for a moment.” Taeyong said casually. Jaheyun pulled Doyoung backwards, dragging Donghyucl with him. This wasn’t Taeyong. “Hey. Calm down. I’m not going to hurt your friend here.”

“Liar” Yuta spoke, eyes hard.

“Sorry…but I’m dead and none of you can talk to ghosts. I’m Hansol…Ji Hansol” Hansol…Taeyong…said, a smile playing on his lips. It was even creepier because Taeyongs eyes weren’t even open. “I’m here to help you guys break out the ones in the facility.”

There was a silence, and awkward pause.

“Where’s Jisung?” Taeil asked, straightening his posture to hide the shakiness in his voice.

“In the Facility. Safe for now as long as I can keep him that way” Taeyong said, leaning back against the table. “I’m what you may call…the catalyst. I’m the reason you’re here, and why the whole thing apocalypses slash war happened…or kinda like that”

The explanation did nothing to curb them of their distrust. Taeyong sighed, pinching the space between his brows. “I’m terrible at negotiation, God save me.”

“What do you mean you caused the apocalypse?” Doyoung asked. At his question Taeyong brightened up immediately, clasping his hands together.

“Finally, a conversation starter!” he smiled. When he realized Donghyucks state, he frowned in sympathy. “Oops…didn’t realize he was deaf.”

“What are you doing?” Mark asked roughly, glaring daggers at the ghost.

“I don’t know how his inner voice works, but it’s kinda making him understand my words” Taeyong shrugged, crossing his arms. “It’s not even my doing. This body must have that kind of ability.”

He clapped his hands together once again. “The thing is…this timeline was never supposed to happen”

-

“Not supposed to happen?” Johnny smirked sarcastically. “What are you? A time traveller?”

Taeyong grinned brightly. “Right you are! I’m a time traveler. Quick one are you?”

Apparently, Hansol could sense the stares he was receiving despite Taeyongs eyes being closed. Johnny wondered if this dude was even aware of the confusion he was causing.

“Hang on…if this body is like Yunmin’s…I should be able to do that weird thing…”

Johnny was about to ask who on Earth Yunwin was until his mind burst with a bright light.

_Someone was talking on the radio._

_“The unknown radiation from the falling star that struck the Earths’ atmosphere did not harm anyone. However, the few teens that were hit seemed to develop much faster than before, being able to do extraordinary things we could never comprehend. They are Quarantine in a hospital for further inspection.-“_

Johnny was yanked back into reality. Everyone looked as disoriented as he felt, blinking the spots out of their eyes.

“That’s not what happened” Mark spoke up, his voice tense. “The radiation killed most of the younger generation.”

Tayeong smield grimly. “I told you…your timeline is different from mine. In my time, only seven were affected, and no war broke out. “

“Then you did something” Jeno said, his voiced laced with disbelief. “I’ve played games enough times to know that changes in the past will cause a butterfly effect. You did something didn’t you?”

Taeyong opened his mouth to answer but was cut off as he bent over, groaning in pain and clutching his head. Doyoung held back Jaehyun who instinctively moved to help him.

“You’re hurting him” Doyoung yelled, clenching his fists. “Get out of his body”

“Not until I tell you the whole story!” Taeyong said thickly, forcing his body up, chest heaving for breath. “We weren’t like you. One of us could have multiple abilities, making our potential limitless. Only I bore a single ability of time travel, and they couldn’t measure how much I could do with it.

But the other six were dying. Their brains and bodies could not embody the power given to them. We had grown attached to each other. You should understand why I decided to do what I did.”

Jungwoo pursed his lips. “You time travelled?”

“Repeatedly. From the past to the future again and again. I was desperate.” Taeyong’s voice was shaking, as if suppressing sobs. It made Johnny sympathize with him even more. “They were dying and I tried to think of ways to stop them from ever gaining the abilities. It didn’t work and when I accepted their fate and left the past as it was…I didn’t realize I had distorted reality.”

Doyoung blinked rapidly as he realized what had happened. “You said one star hit the earths’ atmosphere…and it never bore harmful radiation but-”

“Not in your timeline” Taeyong said, guild laced within his words. “My time leaps caused a shift within the reality of the past. The star duplicated itself, but not exactly the way it was. You see…the star had many layers which released different kinds of radiation. Seven layers, seven people.

But for you…I don’t know how many stars there were, but the layers weren’t like the original star. One layer was the one that would evolve your mind…but the other layers gave out toxic radiation-“

“Which was why so many kids died” Taeil continued. “It wasn’t because their minds weren’t strong, but they were hit by different kinds of radiations”

Taeyong nodded mournfully. “I couldn’t find my friends in the future, and my ability was killing me anyway. I thought that was it…that the world would never return to the way it was until I found out my ability had affected something else in the timeline. The core…the main reason…”

“The original star” Johnny spoke automatically.

“It shattered before it even hit the Earths’ atmosphere. Instead, the layers separated into shards that contained one ability each, but it still struck the atmosphere…all but the core of the star”

Taeyong turned to look at the glowing blue orb. The others circled the table, looking at the orb hauntingly. The object that had literally ruined the timeline and distorted reality. That had created their lives.

“Yunwin had three abilities. Telekinesis, Technopathy and Memory manipulation”

Johnny saw Jaehyun suck in a breath.

“They were all from the same layer, but were broken into three shards. In this timeline, three people with an ability that should have belonged to one person. They would be connected, in a way, since their abilities correspond to one another. That’s what makes it so complicated”

Taeyong groaned again, leaning forward until his head met the table. Jeno and Jaemin held onto him from both sides, helping him to straighten his posture. There was blood streaming from his nose, and Johnny felt anger bubbling in the pit of his stomach.

“Wait!” Taeyong yelled, shaking his head aggressively to clear his mind. “A little bit more.”

“You talked of a plan” Mark spoke, his tone hard. “What is it?”

“To complete the star…we need all the shards. I don’t know how many of them are out there…but we need all of them here, in this room” Taeyong spat blood onto the floor. “I know there are some of you here who are shards, and that’s why I need you to understand how important it is for you to survive.”

“Spit it out!” Johnny yelled as Taeyongs body trembled from overexertion.

“We need to complete the star, and my ability will activate and distort the reality of this timeline again, enough to give us one more chance.”

“One more chance to what?” Doyoung questioned, sounding calmer than the others.

“To change the past and to erase this timeline. I can’t be sure if the world would be a better place, but it’s worth trying”

With that, Tayeong collapsed onto the floor, Jeno and Jaemin barely able to support him. Taeyong’s eyes opened, bleary and disorientated. He was panting heavily, and Johnny could feel his hunch tingle.

“Are you okay?” Doyoung asked softly. “Do…were you aware?”

Taeyong nodded, rubbing his eyes before sluggishly wiping at his nose, smearing the blood. “In fact…I think I know everything Hansol knows.”

-

They were on the floor, stunned out of their minds. Mark had Donghyuck firmly in his embrace, the younger having a headache after whatever Hansol pulled. Mark guessed Donghyuck was more of a visual thinker, which might be the reason he looked like his head was going to explode.

“A chance to change the past” Doyoung said thoughtfully, arms crossed. “The day the stars hit the Earths’ atmosphere”

“One star…in his timeline” Taeil added bitterly. He was still clutching Jisungs jacket close, clearly disturbed by the fact that Jisung was communicating with Hansol somehow in the Facility.

“It’s a stretch” Johnny concluded. Eyes stared at him expectantly. “If…if we distort reality again…we might be able to eradicate the star as a whole, or return reality to Hansols time, where there’s no War.”

“Or we might make the situation worse” Yuta added sourly. “The starts that hit the atmosphere might not have any safe layer at all, and perhaps wipe out all the children, even us-“

“-or even the adults” Taeyong continued. “But he’s right. It’s worth trying. We’re dead men any way”

Jeno shook his head. “But we don’t have a way out of here”

“Not even an exit” Jaemin continued.

“ But we do” Taeyong butted in, his hands clasped together tightly. “From where we landed…there are two hidden portals in the lake.”

There was a collective groan.

“How, pray tell, do you even know this stuff?” Johnny asked, rubbing his hands over his face.

“Hansol” came the simple answer.

Mark felt Donghyuck shift in front of him, clearly hating the way the others were looking at Taeyong. They were tired, drained and suddenly placed with the burden of changing the future. They weren’t heroes…not even legal. This Hansol guy was placing too much stress on them.

“Look…the thing is, one of the portals is a short cut to the facility. The other takes us to the mouth of the cave.” Taeyong continued.

“Then why don’t we just take the shortcut?” Jaehyun interrupted but was shushed by a glare from Taeyong.

“Due to its long distance, the shortcut is an unstable time portal.”

Mark suppressed a groan of annoyance. There it was, another thing connected to time, as if the whole thing wasn’t enough to make his head spin.

“We won’t know how much time would pass once we get out of there. It could be days…weeks or even a month. It’s a gamble.”

“So, you’re saying we either take the long route or take a shortcut risk ending up there a month later?” Doyoung asked, groaning when Taeyong nodded. He hated risks and gambles. There was an unknown possibility of anything happening over the course of a day. They couldn’t waste that much time.

Donghyuck clapped his hands, bringing their attention to him. When Taeyong looked at him, his hands moved.

“Split up” Taeyong interpreted. “One will stay at the facility and find the other shards until the others come.”

“Get caught intentionally?” Johnny asked, and the statement brought a shiver down their spines. Only Taeyong and Donghyuck knew what happens in the facility, and there was no way both of them could ever risk getting caught.

“I’ll do it”

Eyes moved to look at Doyoung. He was chewing his bottom lip, but his gaze was steady, filled with determination. “We need someone who can control the electronic devices inside. I’ll be there when you get out of the portal.”

“Wait, Doie-“ Jaehyun started.

“I’ll go there, too” Jaemin spoke up, voice shaking. He pushed his hair out of his eyes so they could make eye contact. “I can connect Telepathically with Jeno. At least one of us has to be inside.”

Jeno clutched his twins hands in understanding and they seemed to share a secret conversation with each other. Taeyong looked away, feeling guilty at the prospect of sending any of them to experience the facility.

“Well…I’ll be going, too” Taeil smiled and eyes were cast his way. “I’m still lucky, you know. You need that kind of luck to get you safe”

Mark scrunched his brows. “You’re…lucky?”

Taeil chuckled, shrugging. “Ever heard of a teen Dad? I thought I was considered an adult during the apocalypse, but I became fairly lucky after it happened, winning during gambling, hooking up the best fish. It’s how I stayed alive. Lady Luck is always on my side.”

“Your sons inside” Yuta added, as if that would lift the guilt that were on their shoulders. “If Jisung was here, I have no doubt he’s a shard, too. But Hansol didn’t tell us what powers the others would have.”

Mark raised his hand tentatively. “You don’t have to guess. If you find the right person…you’ll know. That’s what happened to me…and what I guess happened to you”

His eyes gazed at Jaehyun knowingly. The boy always wore his emotions on his sleeve, and his ears gave way to lies way too easily. Mark could still feel his mind vibrating with Donghyuck so close to him, and it felt comforting. He was glad they didn’t have to separate.

“There’s supposed to be seven layers, six minus Hansols’.” Doyoung stated. “We don’t know how many shards there are, exactly, which means we need to make sure everyone in that facility survives. If you think anyone there that feels right, keep them near. “

“And keep you guard up” Taeyong added. “Don’t falter.”

-

The walk back through the tunnel was sober, like a funeral.

 _Aren’t you scared?_ Jeno’s voice echoed in his head, warm and familiar. If Jaemin were to be truthful, he was terrified. The stories that Taeyong told regarding the Facility repeated continuously in his mind.

He could blame his earlier bravery on his sacrificial trait, but that wasn’t it. As much as Jaemin wanted to ignore it, there was a magnetic force pulling him towards the Facility, and he knew Jeno knew. That was the reason the latter had not objected when he had offered to go.

 _Someone needs to go find Renjun_ he transmitted back. _But you can feel it too, right? Another one?_

If he could metaphorically explain it, it was like a string was tugging at his heart. He had felt it since the apocalypse with Jeno, and again when they met Renjun. It used to be uncomfortable, but had become comforting as time passed. Then, a few days after Renjun was taken, he had felt another tug.

 _Do you think, Renjun found another shard?_ Jeno asked, looking at Jaemin worriedly.

Jaemin nodded solemnly. He was a true believer of fate. If the Universe wanted to be corrected, it would guide them to the right path. Renjun had found the fourth piece in their layer, and Jaemin was sure that person had somehow befriended the other shards.

The way they were united with Taeyong and Donghyuck.

“Trust me” Jaemin insisted, startling Jeno with his voice. It was a common occurrence for both of them, too used to communicating with each other to the point they forgot to interact verbally.

“We’re here” Jungwoo called and they back at the lake. Unlike before, two whirlpools were there, one moving slowly and one moving fast. Jaemin knew which one was which, considering both worked by time.

Jeno pulled Jaemin into his embrace, burying his head within the other shoulder. Jaemin raised his hand to rake his fingers through Jeno’s hair, letting out the tears of fear and sadness be shed before they departed. His heart tugged insistently, suddenly unsure if it should guide its owner away from its other half.

“I’ll be okay” Jaemin said. The two pulled away, gazing at each other eyes. Jaemin realized it was probably the first time they would be separated since they were born.

Jeno didn’t break eye contact, even when Doyoung gently guided Jaemin backwards towards the slower whirlpool.

“Find them for me” Jeno mouthed, and Jaemin nodded. He tapped his temple, a gesture meaning never to contact him once he was out. It could be week, months or even a decade before they would meet. The thought made more tears slip out of his eyes. He hated this, all of it.

“We’ll make it back” Taeyong promised to the others, clutching Jungwoo’s bag tightly. “Promise me you’ll wait for us no matter how long we take to get there.”

Taeil nodded, a sad smile on his face. “Promise.”

Jaemin finally broke eye contact with Jeno, turning away and towards the whirlpool that would take them back to the surface.

“Count backwards from ten, and we’ll get there faster than you think” Doyoung whispered comfortingly, gripping the youngsters shoulder hard. Jaemin looked past his shoulder to look at Jeno again. His other half smiled, waving.

“3…2…-“ Taeil counted and Jaemin looked forward, gripping Doyoung tightly. “…1!”

And they jumped.

-

It was a moment of total confusion. As if his body had shattered into small particles and was blown in all directions by the whirlpools’ wind. His thoughts were all over the place, unable to string a coherent and rational statement as to what was going on.

He was someone, and then something, and then nothing at all.

His feet hit ground and he collapsed to the ground, slightly aware of the two bodies that slammed beside his own. Heaving in a breath was like trying to lift a weight, his body forgetting how to do it. It took him a few seconds to regain his normal heartbeat and to make sense of their surroundings.

They were in front of a hill, perhaps the cave they had slept in before covered by the dirt and concealed. Another thing he could identify was the sound of boots against dry leaves and twigs. There was the sound of people calling out to each other.

The trees in front of them were shone on by lights, no doubt torchlights. The Guards or Predators were coming their way. Taeil felt the first spark of panic until Doyoung reached out to hold his hand, Jaemin in his grasp.

“We have to get caught” he reminded and gently pulled both of them to the ground. “Pretend you’re asleep. They won’t suspect us when we don’t fight back.”

It was terribly hard to lay still when his veins were surging with adrenaline as the sound of boots came closer and closer.

“I FOUND THE KIDS. THERE’S THREE OF THEM THOUGH!” Someone called and Taeil could feel the back of his eyelids light up slightly due to the torchlights. “THEY’RE UNCONSCIOUS THOUGH!”

“IDIOT! THEY MIGHT WAKE UP!” Someone else yelled back and before he could prepare himself, he felt something hit his chest and a cable wrapped around his torso, pulling tight. There was a bright light in his head and he tried to scream as agony wreaked havoc in his body.

But his vocal chords were frozen, only letting out gags and garbled words through his convulsions. Taeil prayed that they hadn’t used it on Jisung. He doubted his boy could handle the pain.

“WE’VE GOT ‘EM-“ was the last thing he heard before he drifted into unconsciousness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will be focusing on the ones stuck in the Facility, what had happened after the fight in the city. What will happen once the three are added. This is probably the most complicated world I built, and I'm amazed how much support its getting, since this story was almost deleted. Thanks so much for the kudo's and comments.
> 
> Do comment what you think will happen, and if you're still confused, you can ask questions on my twitter @Skydancer_8.Sorry about the errors and stuff, and if my writing isn't satisfactory. Keep safe!


	10. Start of the End/ Day 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What's happening to those in the facility?

“Spill the tea” Renjun stated once they were all (save the two youngest since they had lab schedules) gathered together in the Youngest Dorm. “Look, I would allow you guys to exchange these secretive looks but just so you know, I’m not exactly the most patient of people.”

“There’s not much more than you already know” Yang Yang admitted, gesturing towards the bed to make the boy sit down. Renjun shook his head, the dread filling his veins making it harder to sit still. “There was a fight, a big one. I’m not sure of the details but apparently they found the power siblings”

Kun shook his head in confusion. “Power what?”

“Power sibings”

It was Ten who spoke this time, a poetry book clutched close to his chest. Renjun wondered if it was the only thing that he was allowed to keep. It made him regret not grabbing at least one of the many figurines that were lined on his shelves back when he had a home.

“Apparently, a year back there were these two kids. One was a Potential User, and another was considered a Perfect Black. They were the closest the government got to perfect experiments, perfect Infected. I don’t know the full story since I was always on the top floor, but these guys were sent to the lower floors less than a week after their arrival.”

“But they ran away?” Renjun guessed, receiving nods. “You’re saying that they encountered these siblings along the way and couldn’t even manage them both?”

Sicheng shifted beside him. “Not that. They had allies, from what I heard. The Guards weren’t even able to capture ONE of them, and we had at least 100 causalities. They’re pretty much untouchable, add that with their allies.”

Kun glanced at Lucas’ sleeping form. “Do you know who they were with-?”

The door slammed open and Guards stood in full gear, a single scientist in front with a stun gun in his hand. “Kun…Renjun…I believe we need to talk”

“What for?” Yang Yang asked, and Renjun was reminded that he was supposed to not know how to speak Korean. “They just arrived.”

“Well, his friends were responsible of the deaths of many of our Guards and Infected, and I believe they have the information we need to track them down” The scientist smiled darkly, tapping his foot with impatience. “If you do not see them again, I believe they will be at the lower floor for being…uncooperative.”

Yang Yang turned towards Renjun, his eyes wide. “You have to understand that Sicheng won’t be there with you to bend the waves. You can’t lie in there. They’ll know instantly that you can understand what they’re saying. Renjun…”

“No translators?” Kun asked.

Yang Yang shook his head. “They’ll probably not use it at first. They’re wary of you guys, now that your friends took out so many people.”

Renjun nodded solemnly.“You won’t see me again. I won’t tell them anything, because I know the others WILL get here, soon. Please, Yang Yang, I need you to plan an escape once they come. You can come for me later. Kun and I will survive until then, trust me”

“What are you talking about?” the scientist questioned.

“He doesn’t understand the lower floor concept” Yang Yang lied, smiling brightly. “Hang on; I think I need to rephrase it”

“Take your time.”

“We’ll do what we can, and Renjun…be careful down there. No one has ever come back the way they were.”

“If we don’t, I allow you kill us” Kun piped up. Ten grabbed his wrist, looking up at him with desperation. “There’s no other way. They’ll be here when we’re down there. By then, you have to be prepared”

“We will” Hendery said before Ten could reply. “Stay safe down there”

They watched as the two newest members left, knowing well that they weren’t going to return. After the door stopped the hallway lights from getting in, leaving them in the slight darkness of the dorm, they looked at each other with something akin to grief.

-

“There’s no way we can do this without real plans” Xiao Jun spoke, his brows creased in frustration. “I suggest we sleep the night, and then we try to think later-“

The door opened once more and the two youngest ran in, their eyes wide and scared. Ten opened his arms and Jisung came barreling against his chest, hiding his face within the elders shoulder. He was pale and shivering, and after effect of the serum that had been inserted into his blood.

“We saw Kun and Renjun being taken!” Chenle spoke, letting Sicheng wrap him in his long arms. “Are they going to the lower floors?”

“They will be…soon…once they realize that both Kun and Renjun are either lying or won’t tell the truth. But we now know that there are actually people coming to get us out of here” Hendery explained, patting his lap to enable Chenle to sit on it. Instantly, arms circled his waist.

Jisung pulled back from Ten, a flicker of something akin to determination in his eyes. When he opened his mouth, it made everyone suck in a breath, as if he would speak.

No, he did not speak. Instead, he raised his palm and clenched his hand repeatedly. A sign that he wanted to say something but couldn’t. Ten passed him a piece of paper and a pencil, watching the younger rush to take it and write viciously.

**They found the lair, Chenle. They found the lair and know about Hansol and everything else. It’s time.**

They shared a look, making the other glance at them questioningly. It was as if a silent conversation was going on between both of them, but it wasn’t like they had telepathy or anything. Slowly, their fingers intertwined and they nodded, a silent agreement.

“We’ve been hiding stuff from you guys. I guess it’s time to tell you” Chenle spoke softly, as if what he was going to say was a secret. If it were my preference, Jisung and I could conjure Hansols spirit by combining our abilities, but there’s a camera in this room. Too obvious.”

“Hansol?” asked Hendery, plopping down to the floor and pulling Sicheng down with him. “Must be serious if you’re like that.”

“It’s what’s going to determine our future.”

-

***STARTING FROM HERE WILL BE THEIR PLAN TO HELP WITH THE ESCAPE****




**Day 1**

“That’s a great rabbit, Chenle!” the woman in front of him smiled sweetly, waiting for Yang Yang to translate it to him. Yang Yang repeated the sentence in Chinese as Chenle feigned his look of extreme happiness. My God, was pretending to be a naïve boy draining.

The problem with the experiment was that they had him caffeinated the night before, making it almost impossible for him to sleep. Now he was there, wondering if he had accidentally made the rabbit look slightly yellowish or if it was just his own sleepy mind playing tricks on him,

The woman looked down at her clipboard and Yang Yang winked. Chenle closed his eyes and quickly created an illusion covering the whole room, an identical copy that the woman and the people behind the CCTV couldn’t identify. Days of secret practice paid off after all.

Sure, the room looked slightly smaller but it wasn’t like they would notice after all. It was the best he could do while being sleep deprived.

The rabbit remained in order to cover the fact that he was using his ability again from the brain scanners.

“I see you have been improving in terms of solidity and all” the woman continued, flipping the sheets of paper. She didn’t realize Jisung crawling behind the illusion towards the cabinet where they had kept all the art supplies. Chenle tried not to flinch every time Jisungs’ shoulder grazed against his illusion. He would have to work on that later.

“Right, now-“

The cabinet creaks and Yang Yang winces. The woman turns to look at the cabinet that still looked closed due to Chenle’s illusion.

“Strange. I must have misheard”

Chenle flinched as Jisung hurriedly pattered out the door with what he hoped was enough stationary in a clumsy manner, enough for him to feel the illusion aver slightly.

“Are you fine, Chenle?” the woman asked, looking sincerely worried. Yang Yang repeated the question, his eyes panicked.

“A small headache” Chenle replied quickly, forcing a smile. He pushed back his illusion little by little until it matched the size of his surrounding exactly before letting it drop. The bunny on the table also disappeared.

“We’ll try again later on, perhaps with something you can try and replicate” the woman said, mostly to herself because Chenle was struggling to fight off the wave of dizziness that had come with the exertion of mental energy.

“I’ll bring him to the dorms!” Yang Yang said and gently took Chenle by the arm and led him out the door. Jisung was right outside, leaning against the wall the way he usually did when he waited for Chenle to finish his lab schedule. They shared a look before walking back to the dorms, parting with Yang Yang who was headed to a different floor to aid Sichengs schedule.

“Do you have it?” Chenle whispered and Jisung nodded his face blank of emotions.

-

“Now tell me why of all drawings, I need to keep one that had been painted with nothing more than a bluish background” Hendery asked as he folded the paper and shoved it into his jacket. He eyed the drawings of animals and creatures that surrounded Ten, the elder showing his ability to create drawing with extreme speed.

“That’s water, Donkey” Ten chided, adding some color to his painting. “And stop staring at me. It’s too obvious”

They had hidden Ten under a wooden table with Chenle’s illusion covering him while creating a fake illusion if Ten sleeping on his bed. The painter was currently drawing all sorts of things he claimed would create enough ruckus to create a distraction.

Xiao jun was walking around the facility, keeping an eye out for the CCTV’s that are broken and could help them in the future. At the same time, Hendery was sitting by the table letting Ten hide pictures within his stockings. Somehow, he had been convinced to be the one to sneak the papers into hidden spots all over the facility just because he and Xiao Jun were the only ones free enough.

Like, really? That was 8 floors overall in this giant facility. It would take him HOURS to get it done.

Hendery struggled to keep a straight face as Ten once again shoved a folded square into his stocking. Man, he could FEEL the paper scratching against his ankle bone.

Lucas wasn’t fending off any better. There were a few floors that Hendery couldn’t access which was the thirds, fourth and eighth floor.

The eight floor was the control room, which Yang Yang could access when the Scientists called him up to explain their dorm conversations.

Then there was the third and eighth floor, focusing aminly on experimentation and technology creation. Lucas and Jisung were the only Whites in their group to be taken there, and the floors were prohibited for the rest of them. Hendery had little to no information about what goes on those floors, but considering Jisung and Lucas’ conditions after, it must not be as easy as the normal labs.

“The ones in your right are the one you need to hide somewhere in the hallway” Ten explained, slapping Lucas’ foot as the other flinched.

“I can’t help it, it’s ticklish!” Lucas stated and continued to fidget as Ten held down Lucas’ foot to shove another painting in the sock.

Hendery buried his face in his hands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chapters after this will focus on the plans carried out by the Foreigner team, adding the captured members in. I won't tell you when the others will get out of that portal, but you can count on these guys to make sure to support them from the inside. I love comments to read, especially if its your opinion on the characters. Sorry if this chapter is disappointing or anything.


	11. Day 2/Day 3

**Day 2**

If there was anything worse than having to run around on translator duty, it was doing it while sleep deprived. Yang Yang couldn’t quite place a finger on it, but he had felt something tug somewhere in his heart ever since Renjun parted from him. It was unnerving and even more frustrating when Renjun never came back from the interrogation.

“Heard those kids were the ones that killed them people-“ a Guard said to another as they passed by. “You reckon they should be sent down immediately?”

Yang Yang stopped in his tracks, eyes widening once the information sunk into his brain. They had been caught. The plan had failed terribly and now there was no way they could ever get out! Yang Yang found himself following the steps of the Guards to the first floor, where he knew the newcomers would be kept until they woke up.

“You’re the polygot, aren’t ya kid?” The man asked when he entered the elevator with him. “Watcha doing here? Those kids might be dangerous.”

“Perhaps they would be calmer with the presence of a teen like them, unscathed and untouched” Yang Yang said rationally, making the two Guards shrug at each other. They moved to stand in front of Yang Yang almost protectively as the door opened.

Yang Yang knew the first floor like the palm of his hand. He had been there every single time a foreign member popped up. They took curve after curve, weaving through the many rooms where he knew the Infected were being tested.

Come to think of it, none of the foreigners had ever been tested on the first floor.

“We’re here, kid. Stay outside unless you’re called”

It was a familiar sight to see the door slide open, and then shut. Thankfully, the walls were thin and Yang Yang could pick up the small talk going on inside of the room.

“You will cooperate! Don’t try to play innocent when we know that you are very much capable!”

“We know that kid we picked off the rode was powerful. You know it too. Do you REALLY think any of us would have caused instant death to multiple Guards and Infected simultaneously? We are not powerful, nor are we capable.”

The voice was laced with desperation and sadness, almost like the way Sicheng had sounded when he first came. Yang Yang would have thought that these guys had been betrayed by the others, but that wasn’t it, was it? If what Jisung said was true, they had found the lair together.

“Where are your friends?”

“Landslide. There was a dirt cave that we went into and a landslide happened. They were caught inside.”

There was the sound of static electric as someone spoke through the walkie talkie. Apparently, the guy wasn’t lying. How ironic that these guys had been wiped out by Mother Nature herself. Yang Yang was rather stunned that he had told the truth. Most of the time, the Infected would lie and then would come the interrogation using Empaths.

“Hey, what can you guys do?”

There was a different voice this time. “I…I’m just incredibly lucky, you know. Maybe that’s why these guys survived with me. Doyoung here can control technology…and Jaemin can shape shift”

Three. There are three people. Renjun had told him there were a lot of them at first. How many had been wiped simply because of a landslide?

“I see…should we bring them to their dorms?”

There was the sound of feet against the floor followed by a big sigh. They weren’t cooperating.

“Sorry…Jaemin here is a bit terrified. I mean…the two facility kids used to tell loads of stories about the facility. I don’t think that he trusts you to bring him there”

“Sir, we have a boy outside. You think he can help?”

“Who?”

“The polygot”

Yang Yang held his breath. “Sure, why not?”

The door opened and Yang Yang had a split second to regain his composure, plastering on a bright smile. It was rather annoying to do, but he made sure there was a slight skip in his steps to show that he was still a happy-go-lucky kid.

There were three of them, as he had deducted. Two of them looked older, but there was one younger boy (Probably that Jaemin kid) . Yang Yang gently knelt down to release their arms from their stait jackets, hoping that they couldn’t see the way his fingers trembled.

The two eldest didn’t budge, but when he removed Jaemin’s, the latter moved to grip Yang Yangs’ jacket. There was something different in his eyes, something that was not alike to fear. It was relief.

“Hi, I’m Yang Yang” he introduced, helping them up to their feet. “I assume you guys are gonna fill up a new dorm, am I right?”

The question was directed towards the scientists. He gave a relieved nod, smiling cheerfully at him. Huh, adults were so easy to manipulate. Yang Yang focused his attention back to the newcomers. “You’ll stay in a new dorm, but my dorm is at the far end. I can show you where it is before bringing you to your dorm. Don’t worry…we’re on the same floor”

When the Guards moved to stand beside him, apparently for his protection, he waved them away. “You’re going to give the fragile one a panic attack.”

He could literally feel Jaemin’s eyes burning at the back of his head but paid no mind. The fact that Jaemin had the back of his jacket secured in his hand was even more distracting. There was a slight pinch in his heart, as if the dude currently creeping him out was somehow feeling disturbed. He probably was.

“You won’t get hurt here” Yang Yang spoke calmly as they turned another curve. “Not if you follow the rules and do what you’re told”

“I’m sorry…what do you know someone-“ the one with a bunny-like face started before being silenced by Yang Yangs’ hand. Not now…there could be ears against the walls. It was almost a replica of the moment Renjun and Kun came, the way they boarded the elevator and kept quiet until the doors closed.

  
“There’s no speakers in the elevator. You better talk” Yang Yang said, his ignored fear suddenly coming back by making his voice shake. “Renjun counted on you guys. Kun, too”

“They’re not dead, only travelling here through a time portal” the eldest looking one said, eye son the rising numbers. “We don’t know when they’ll end up here but they will-“

“Communication?” Yang Yang interrupted, knowing they barely had any time.

“Jaemin has telepathy with one of them out there. Once they’re out, he’d know-“

The elevator stopped too early and Yang Yang held his breath as the door opened. Chenle came padding in, his eyes zooming in on Yang Yang before meeting the others. His jaw dropped when he made eye contact with the eldest one.

“Taeil-!”

Yang Yang clamped a hand over his mouth, waiting for the door to close again before letting him go. Apparently, this Taeil guy recognized Chenle as well. The youngster leaped into Taeil arms, apparently sobbing into his unhygienic clothes. Such a touching reunion.

“J-Jisung?” Taeil asked in a broken voice. When Chenle nodded, the first tear drops fell from Taeils eyes, wiped away quickly.

“Renjun? Kun?” Jaemin questioned, his face dropping when Yang Yang frowned. He couldn’t put it into words. Instead, he shook his head and that was enough for the message to be sent. The other dude behind him cursed under his breath.

-

Even with the room dimly lit by the small sliver of light that managed to seep through the door, Jisung found himself restless. For one, Chenle wasn’t with him like always, because apparently his schedule didn’t allow him to meet up after his experiment.

Then was the reason itself. Whatever serum they had injected into him was like taking caffeine shot, or perhaps a dose of drugs. It was as if his consciousness was floating between being overly sober or dream-like. It made him want to sleep, yet made it almost impossible to do so.

“Wake up, kiddo! It’s fudging important!” some spirit or ghost or whatever pestered him by his bed. Jisung could barely hear the words through his muffled hearing and whatnot, his surroundings spiraling around him as if looking through a magic mirror. “Come on, snap out of it!”

Now, what was this feeling he had in his chest? As if a whirlpool had formed and was pulling at his nerves. Why was he feeling it with such intensity?

Oh…right. They had taken Sicheng down to the lower levels, didn’t they?

Jisung laughed to himself in his head, taking in how such an event could happen when they were planning to escape. They had taken him by force when Sicheng had dabbed his forehead with a damp towel. He couldn’t move at the time being, considering he had little to no control of his limbs at the moment. Wait…who brought him to his dorm, anyway?

“Jisung! You gotta wake up!”

The latter groaned in annoyance. Why couldn’t those ghosts leave him alone to succumb to his strange state of mind?

“I think…-isung…-fferent from the other ones”

A hand grabbed his shoulder and hoisted him up viciously, breaking the spell that the serum had cast on him. His vision cleared, but when he was met with the face of his Dad, Taeil, Jisung let out a silent groan.

Why am I hallucinating, now?

Taeil scrunched up his brown in confusion. “I’m here, little chicken. I’m right here. I’m real!”

And like a splash of iced water, a hand came up to smack his cheek. Jisung’s eyes fluttered wide, narrowing to look carefully at the person who was currently holding him up. Yes, that was definitely his Dad, and Chenle was peeking out from behind him. Could it be? No way…his Dad wasn’t a-

“I’m an Infected, baby chick” his grin was the same, his voice was fry, but the same. He felt real, he sounded real…God, he even smelt real.

In a swift motion, he swung his arms over Taeils shoulders, hugging him close in case the image of his dad would somehow disappear if he let go. He counted in his head to 10, waiting for the body in his hands to fade, but it never did. He had come, he was here!

“God, what did they do to you?” Taeil breathed, brushing aside Jisungs hair that had started losing its original color due to the serums. It was a big loss, especially since Jisung never actually got the chance to dye it. The color looked more like a faded unhealthy brown.

Jisung let his eyes roam around the room. There were two new people, one with a pretty face and slim body, and the other…with a pretty face and slim body. Man, was it a trait for the newcomers to always look this good?

“Our dorms’ next door, if you’re wondering” Taeil whispered in his ear, his thumb still brushing against Jisungs cheek. Yang Yang leaned forward to tap his shoulder and Taeil slipped into basic Mandarin. “I can’t be here long, or they’ll suspect something between us”

There was nothing more than a simple nod that Jisung could offer. His voice was still stuck in his throat, refusing to come out. Now that he thought of it, he hadn’t heard his own voice in a while. While he was pondering the thought, Chenle looked around squinting.

“Where’s Sicheng?”

The room froze as eyes turned to look at Jisung. It was threatening to spill out of his lips, but was restricted by pure will. Jisung could not do anything but shake his head while pointing downwards.

_They took him under._

-

The Cell he was in was even wider than the dorm. For some reason, that made it even harder for Renjun to gather his will to stay strong.

True to Yang Yangs’ words, he had been interrogated while being strapped down to a metal chair withr restraints. They must have been suspicious from the start, watching them through their CCTV’s and taking note of their movements. On the other hand, the other foreigners weren’t captured, too, and Renjun could only hope that it meant they were able to carry out their plans.

There was no way to lie during the interrogation with an Empath, who looked like he had gone through Hell and back, staring at you. He managed to dodge a bullet by knocking over the tea he had been served, which he knew had been spiked with truth serum.

Apparently, the room wasn’t supposed to be used for torturing, but they had dragged him to the Cells. The Cells was the lowest lower floor the facility had that smelled like blood and metal. He had been shoved into one of the rooms, with its cemented floor and cobblestone walls. He had no source of light except whatever sunlight was able to slip beneath the door.

Prior to him getting locked up was his torture. Following his insults and attempts to dodge the truth came the suspicion that he was lying about his ability. His refusal to deny it basically confirmed that theory, too, which meant they would make him starve as long as he could without dying until he told them the truth.

They also fastened an electric collar to his neck, which was programmed to electrocute him upon starage brain activity.

But he knew that was even worse, to make them track anyone who could ever exist and to reveal the Infected who were safety hidden…and even his friends. That was a risk he was NOT going to take, especially since it involved brainwash.

Brainwash.

Kun.

Renjun had no idea what had happened during his interrogation, but they had pulled him out the elevator on a different floor. Kun had told him sometime that they found out his ability was compatible with technology, thus revealing he was able to control weather, not predict it. To throw off suspicion, Kun had acted as if he had not known that.

It made Renjun thankful he never had to go to Floor 4, where they hooked you up to machines, ever since he arrived. For now, he would bear the hunger and thirst by himself, along with the daily interrogations that they had set up to make his will falter.

The walls were somewhat thin, and Renjun could hear muffled screams coming from other Cells and the floor above. It made it even harder for him to stay focused.

“Renjun”

The boy startled, raising his head to look at the wall. Someone had spoken from the Cell beside him…but there was no way the voice could sound so clear without him shouting.

“Renjun…come on, it hurts”

Renjun closed his eyes and let his mind reach out towards the person beside his cell. Behind his closed eyelids was image of Sicheng, lying down near the wall that separated them. A sudden painful jolt from the collar snapped him out of his trance to grip at the device which did not budge. Gosh, that was agonizing.

“I’m here”

The messages Sicheng was able to transmit by forcing the sound waves from his voice through the wall were short, indicating each one was hurting him terribly.

“Be strong”

That was the last message, but Renjun pressed his hand against the wall, imagining Sicheng doing the same from the other side. He had company now, someone who would comfort him when he would slip. Renjun doubted Sicheng had been found out, instead sent down to become a Perfect Black. Renjun didn’t know the extent of wave bending, but he figured it might be capable of a lot of things.

Such as destruction.

Besides, Sicheng had been in the facility for almost as long as Yang Yang, and that was enough proof that Sicheng was indeed capable of using his ability to its limit.

Renjun hoped the others would be fine. He really hoped so.

And what is this tug in his heart?

**Day 3**

When the Guards came to pick him up, he figured he would be brought down for testing. Yang Yang had explained the day before that usually newcomers would spend a day or so in the first two floors before a permanent schedule would be set up.

So, when they escorted him out when the elevator reached the fourth floor, his heart raced.

Unlike the first floor which had large windows for people to watch what was happening inside the experimentation room, the fourth floor had metal walls and a concrete floor. There were no windows for him to look into, which gave him no clear image on what would happen to him.

They entered one of the nearer rooms, or in Doyoungs case, shoved in albeit roughly. A hand clamped over his eyes and before he could process the fact, he was manhandled into what seemed to be a chair. He felt metal restraints clasp down his hands and feet before the hand over his eyes was removed.

Doyoung had seen Jaehyun play horror games before. The chair he was in definitely resembled an electrocution chair, and so did the straps that the Guards were now pulling over his body.

The door creaked open and a man in a lab coat walked in.

“Don’t worry, it’s not what it seems” he said in a calm voice, his hands clasped together in mock professionalism. “Since we know you are a technopath…we assume you will naturally be compatible with technology.”

Oh great…curse his ability. He should have known.

“We will run a few tests on you, and if you do not want anything to screw up your brain, I suggest you keep still”

Yeah, keep still when he could barely move. There were probably machines behind him, from the gentle thrum he felt in his veins. Doyoung wished he could reach out and control them, electrocute everyone in the room, but his brain was at stake. There was no way they would be harsh on a newcomer, right?

The Guard pulled at something behind the chair. In his hand was what seemed to be a mask connected to a tube, probably oxygen, which would strap his head back against the chair. Another guy pulled out a U shaped object and proceeded to push it against Doyoungs tightly sealed lips. If Doyoung was scared then, he was full out terrified now.

“Don’t worry, it will prevent you from passing out before the experiment is done” came the voice of the scientist, now annoying to hear. “And that thing will make sure you don’t bite your tongue off”

Bite his…tongue off. What on Earth?

He let the man shove the object into his mouth before fixing the mask over his nose and mouth, pushing his head back so to strap the it to the chair, making it impossible for him to move his head at all. They then proceeded to painfully shove wires under his skin and tape them to his temples. It was like a horror movie.

“You’re pretty smart, aren’t you?” the man smiled, and Doyoung resisted the urge to scoff. “Most people would try and escape, but that never ended up well. We will begin the experiment soon, so sit tight and don’t try anything”

Yeah, as if he could move. The gag was making it hard to breathe, and Doyoung had no idea why the air that was being pushed to the mask over his face was so cold. He had a few seconds, at best, before they did whatever they wanted to do with him. He glanced sideways at the wires that stuck out of his arms, which disappeared to the back.

If the wires he was hooked up to connected to their computers somewhere, it could be possible for him to trace the network of wires and machines that the facility had. If he could remember the pattern, he could control any part of-

White.

His vision turned stark white as his nerves were hit with a shot of electricity (it was an electric chair after all) that made his veins fill with liquid lava. His body trembled beneath the restraints, wanting to arch of the chair and away from whatever was making fireworks explode in his head.

It was mayhem in his mind, a jumble of words and pictures that he was trying to piece together beyond the pain that made every inch of his body convulse. He was begging for his body to succumb to consciousness, but it never came. His mind was as bright as ever, trying to keep him sane beyond the wreck the onslaught of pain had caused.

_Focus, Doyoung, focus!_

The message wasn’t in form of a voice, but more of a buzz in his brain. The machine was calling out to him, reeling his consciousness back to reality. The machines had something to tell him, but oh God did he want to die.

_It’s your only chance, Doyoung, FOCUS!_

And he shoved his pain aside, forcing out pleads for death and leaving his mind open for any communication. And there it was, the wire network connecting the whole building burning itself into his memories. The power source was from floor 3, where the ones compatible with technology were. They had an electric or energy manipulator and technopaths somewhere down there, strapped down as a permanent energy source. It was so sickening.

_I’m so sorry_

Doyoung was about to question WHY the machines were saying sorry when the pain amplified to the point that he was not only convulsing, but shaking from head to foot. He could feel his consciousness barely holding on and the begging voice at the back of his mind was now screaming for death.

His limbs ached, his back hurt, his teeth felt like they were going to fall out. It was as if his pain nerves had become sensitive and the straps holding him back burnt like hot stove, each breath he took as if inhaling smoke.

_What do you want us to do?_

I…God, the pain…

_Doyoung, what do you want us to do?!_

You…I want…

_DOYOUNG!!!_

**_STOP IT!!!!_ **

His brain seemed to expand and combust, releasing an energy he didn’t know he had against the machines that had inflicted pain onto him. There was a bang and suddenly…the pain was gone. His body slumped in exhaustion, unable to move.

He had exploded the machine.

Smoke wafted out from behind him, clouding his vision. The door slammed open, letting in Guards and scientist, all whom were stunned. The mask had let out the last of its gas, and Doyoung finally saw the wisps of darkness reaching into his line of vision.

The last thing he heard was “No…no, he wasn’t compatible”

-

“Shoot, it hurts” Jaemin mumbled once he reached his dorm. Taeil and Doyoung were still out, both with morning schedules.

His head had started throbbing ever since he woke up. It caused his schedule to be dismissed in case it was an effect of trauma. Yeah, he was still playing the frightened child card.

The strange thing was, the pain felt doubled, as if what he was feeling was more of a phantom pain. As if it did not belong to him.

He curled up onto his bed, pressing his palm over his temples in an attempt to subdue the pain. There was a tug in his heart, and something in Jaemin leapt as if it knew why. The door creaked open and a figure joined him, sitting right beside.

Jaemin patted the side of his bed, giving Ten a knowing look. Right…Yang Yang had found out that blankets muffled conversations when he had gone to the control room that morning.

“Are you having them, too?” Ten asked in Korean, faking a broken accent before slipping beside Jaemin. The younger pulled the blanket over their heads, both of them curling up to fit inside the soft material. “I…I didn’t really catch onto Chenle’s explanation about these shards. I mean…I’m not THAT fluent in mandarin…but I think it’s like soulmates”

Ten seemed to be struggling to find his words, fidgeting uncomfortably under the sheets. Jaemin waited patiently, because that’s what he always did when Renjun first appeared in his life.

“When Kun came…I just felt a spark of something. I don’t understand what it is…but it’s there. Do you think-“ he broke off, shaking his head. “Nah…I must be crazy to think that someone like Kun would be-“

Jaemin grabbed his hand before he had the chance to slip out of the blanket. Ten gazed at the young teen, taking in how youthful he looked and how easily people were swayed just by seeing his face. But now, here, Jaemin looked like mature, understanding. Just like how his nan used to look at him when she knew he was having a bad time.

“We’re feeling this, because our shards are in danger, and we’re so close to them that the bond is begging us to save them.” Jaemin spoke softly, warily, but there was strength behind his words. “Ten, there isn’t much I know about your relationship but I know it’s confusing.

My twin is a shard or mine. Then came Renjun who took our hearts the moment we set our eyes on him. But along the way, when we were trying to get here, we felt another presence in our heart. Another shard, and we believe that Renjun found him. It’s confusing, but I knew who it was the moment I saw him”

“Yang Yang” Ten whispered the name like a spell. “It was…like you clicked together?”

Jaemin shook his hair, smiling fondly at the elder boy. “Everyone feels it differently. There were three people who were each other’s shards when we made our way here. Two were best friends with opposite personalities, and one was reserved and secretive. It was messy at first, but they came through. Ten, if you feel that Kun is that special someone, then believe it.”

Ten let out a nervous laugh. “How are you so calm about all this?”

“Because I believe in fate and destiny” came the answer.

The elder boy fidgeted slightly, grabbing his shirt where his heart was. “I didn’t know why…but I felt a distant…presence?...when Kun arrived. Like there was someone looking at us, but that person is far away. But now I know…it might be another shard”

“Another shard that Kun has met before” Jaemin continued, eyes widening. “Then he’s coming for us, the way Jeno is coming, too. As long as we have these headaches, it means they are still alive. We need to trust them…and we need to make sure the others don’t lose hope.”

Relief settled on Ten’s features, but left as fast as it came. A different kind of worry seemed to plague Ten’s mind.

“Ten?”

“Jaemin…” Ten started, grabbing Jaemin’s hand quickly. “…do you remember Hendery and Xiao Jun? There’s something I’ve wanted to do-“

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmmm... how long do you think they can hide their plans? Do you think the others will make it in time?
> 
> Thanks so much for reading this chapter and sorry for any errors along the way. Be sure to comment because i really like reading them...I like reading them a lot.


	12. Day 4/ Day 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for being a bit late. I'm learnt touch typing, so spelling mistakes occurred a lot of times while typing this. Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter!

**Day 4**

He was going mad.

That was what Kun concluded. He didn’t know how, but the scientists were able to find out that his ability was affected by a change in his emotions. If they had not known, he wouldn’t be in this situation. Everywhere he looked was black, dark as if he had never seen the light of the world.

But that wasn’t what bothered him.

It was that his other senses were shut off, too. His movements made no noise, as if the place he was stuck in was soundproof. He couldn’t hear himself breathe! There was nothing to smell either. No metallic sense of blood, or the scent of his own body. It made his mind run wild, trying to piece together a picture of where he was with no clue except the never ending blackness of his surroundings.

And then there was his sense of touch.

He felt no wind, so he probably wasn’t free falling. He could somewhat know when he moved his body, but there was no surface to confirm it. It was like being stuck in a void of nothing, becoming nothing, feeling nothing.

And somehow, ‘nothing’ was as close to a definition to who he was the longer he was stuck there.

Kun could feel the emptiness of ‘nothing’ shake his will and meddle with his mind. It was dragging him slowly down the spiral of insanity, of becoming one with that nothingness. Emotions erupted in his body, as if begging him to stay awake, to stay sane. A reminder that screamed “Do you feel this? You’re human and you can FEEL”

But as time passed by, the emotions started fading like the trail of smoke from of a blown out candle. Kun tried, at the very least, to hold onto the small sparks of feelings his body provided and hung onto them until they slipped out between his fingers.

His mental voice was also fading, the longer he succumbed to the emptiness. Who would have thought that would happen once your senses were removed? Time was running out and someone was counting on him.

Someone…?

Who?

Who was counting on him?

Who was him?

-

Xiao Jun expected to find their ‘beloved’ Ten on his bed, ready to stare them down for whatever reason he had decided they should meet up for. But when they finally passed through Chenles’ illusion (Apparently the kid was on another caffeine shot, and was currently bouncing round the dorm, pulling along a very confused Jisung. Thank goodness he was able to, at the very least; hide them from the CCTV’s), they were met with the latter curled up under his bed sheets instead.

“I don’t wanna be that guy,” Xiao Jun spoke humorlessly, pulling back the sheets to reveal Tens’ flushed face. “But are you okay?”

The implied boy shook his head, pressing his palms to his temples. “I didn’t call you brats here to baby me, sheesh”

Hendery frowned considerably at the tone Ten was using, receiving a quick nudge from his counterpart. Ten was usually in a terribly insensitive when he was unwell. It was a trait they had gotten used to after a while, but not something they liked either. For some reason, it made them appreciate Ten even more.

It was particularly strange, the way they met up in the first place. In his memory, there was nothing before the day he opened his eyes to find himself within s tree house, build deep inside a forest. He had woken up to two figures, one with a princely face and the other with sharp eyes and later on he found out, a sharp tongue.

Apparently they were friends, and stayed hidden until a hovercraft appeared and pulled them away from their safe haven. It wasn’t their fault, actually. Apparently the townsfolk they often stole from snitched on them, since they were teens. Honestly, he didn’t even know he was basically immune to any kind of injury until this one dude sliced his arm when he was stealing some butter.

“You okay, Buttercup?” Xiao Jun asked, sitting at the foot of Tens’ bed. “If you don’t wanna talk now, we can talk later on.”

“Nope, I’m fine” Ten said, squeezing his eyes shut momentarily before forcing them open. He let himself be guided by his two friends into a sitting position. His hands moved to grab a hand sized sketchbook he had brought along. The front and back were the same color, making it easy for him to hide the fact that he had scribbled some notes and drawn some thing at the end of the book from the scientists when they made him conjure simpler scribbles from the front page. “I just wanted to confess”

Xiao Jun felt something heavy settle in the base of his stomach, something akin to dread. When he turned to make eye contact with his partner, he knew the other was feeling the same thing. They settled themselves at each side of Ten, looking down at the latters’ book as he flipped the pages.

He settled on a drawing of two warriors, one on a horse and one with angel wings. All around the page there were scribbles of hastily written descriptions of the two characters. Apparently, one was a glorious knight and the other a warrior angel sent from the future.

“You want us to watch your little theater?” Xiao Jun laughed, stopping abruptedly when Ten did’t so much as smile as the statement. Instead, he inhaled a shaky breathe and let the characters come to life. For a moment, it was just the two hand sized characters sizing each other up on the open book. Then, they started to fight.

It wasn’t a pretty one, not with the angel warrior and its flammable hands and the knight with its spear and shield. For a moment, he wondered of Ten was starting to become a sadist with the way he was letting the two character flung at each other on a brutal manner. Why has he asked them to come and watch the two characters trying to kill each other?

“Ten?” Hendery asked worriedly, but Ten was dimply looking at the two figures intently, as if waiting for something, some amazing revelation to happen.

And then it did.

The knight slashed at the anger warrior with its sword, and black ink splattered the book cover momentarily before it retracted back into the body of the angel. The knight seemed to be shocked still, letting the angel attack and finally land a fiery blow against the others face which was not protected by the armor.

The knight screamed, its beautifully painted face becoming black and brown like a burning page before it collapsed into ashes. Ten waved a hand over the angel, pulling it back into the book, leaving it the only character on the open pages.

“The knight bled black” Hendery whispered under his breathe, looking down at his own arms, His own bare arms that did not even hold a single scratch. His skin that had never been scarred and his body that had never bled red before. “Ten-“

The elder boy looked as if he were struggling to find the proper words. It wasn’t as if they couldn’t string together the pieces, understand what was actually going on. More like, they were in denial, at least until Ten confirmed their suspicion. So, they waited patiently for Ten to collect his thoughts, to find the words that might explain their existence.

“I never meant to play God” Ten said grimly, closing the book and clutching it to his chest. “I just wanted someone to be there for me, to be my friend when I was going insane in that tree house. I was terrified because I had summoned too many things into the world; let them run free when I didn’t have the capability to pull them back into the pages.

But then I…I did the unthinkable-“

He cut his sentence short, instead viciously tearing open to the book as if his emotions were controlling his actions instead, making him desperate to show them the secret that had almost torn him apart, and might tear the world apart.

Xiao Jun kept his eyes on Ten, perhaps too scared to see the truth lied bare in front of his eyes, too scared to have the revelation and suddenly to see his life as nothing but a lie But when Ten finally stopped, silent tears making their way down his cheeks, he looked.

He looked because whatever was on the two pages that was opened was something that was making Ten cry, making him lose his calm composure. When he looked, he understood immediately. The pieces that had floated in the blank canvas of his past were piecing themselves together. A past that had never existed in the first place.

“I knew your story about us being raised by a pack of monkeys was total BS” Xiao Jun laughed emptily as he gazed at the pages, filled with their personas.

Their names were at a stop, a big blank space in the middle where he was sure Ten had painted them at one point. Every weakness that he had discovered along the way, every strength he prided himself with, his bilingual abilities and the fact that he dislikes the taste of rare meat, all of that was written in faded pencil right in front of his eyes.

There was even a section that mentioned that they were to be connected in a way that is special, and would be friends with the one that draws them. It was like looking at a description of a character from a book, except it wasn’t. It was him.

“Well,” Hendery said with a slight laugh in his tone. “You’re right about this, though”

He pointed at a sentence that said _Will forgive when rational. Has a kind heart and will be more open to the opinions of many people._

Ten smiled sadly behind his tears. “I wanna ask what you’re talking about so bad but I’m so scared of what you’re gonna say”

“You’re amazing” Xiao Jun said at exactly the same time Hendery did, both of them sharing a knowing glance.

“You basically created us and gave us life” Xiao Jun pointed out, shrugging. “I don’t get why you would think any of us would hate you because of that.”

“B-but it isn’t fair to you” Ten stuttered miserably. “I literally created you out of my own preference. I wrote down everything that would define who you are, and it’s not like it’s your fault that you’re somehow lactose intolerant. I just wrote you like that”

Hendery gave out a dramatic sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose dramatically. “When is it gonna sink into your big brain that we don’t care that you literally drew us into existence! We should be groveling at your feet, worshipping you for giving us life for Gods’ sake!”

“And we wouldn’t even EXIST if you didn’t paint us? I can’t believe you’d doubt our friendship AFTER you literally wrote us to become friends with you!” Xiao Jun added, leaning in to tug at Tens’ ear, the latter crying out in shock. “Really, Ten, what were you thinking?”

Ten pulled his hand away, wiping away his tears while laughing. He looked as if a great burden had been lifted off his shoulders, his smile more bright and lively compared to before.

“Well…that was anti-climatic.” Ten said, sighing contently before leaning back until he was lying on the bed. “I love you guys”

Xiao Jun shared another look with Hendery, a look of endearment. “What do we do with him?”

-

“Is it not enough that you had to chase your friend around the dorm, now you have to deal with insomnia?”

To be honest, Jisung wanted to slap the ghost away, telling it to piss off and stuff. Lucas was somewhere on the first floor. Apparently, he had ended up improving while enduring the technology fusions. Jisung wondered if Lucas now able to switch off abilities on sight without the person needing to be close to him. Whatever had happened, the night was his as Chenle snored somewhere above, a big bump on his head courtesy of a flying pan Jisung was sure came from Jaemin.

“You do realize that you can upgrade your ability too, if you actually tried”

Jisung looked up at the ghost. Was this guy a mind reader or what?

“Actually, I was until this facility planned to use me to mind control some Whites” the floating boy said, a small smile on his face. “Ran up to the roof and launched myself off. Kinda tragic, right?”

Sure. Jisung had heard stories of a boy who prevented world domination by sacrificing himself. The boy looked older than he was, but perhaps he was even older than e looked, Ghosts never aged, and stayed the way until they could move on.

“My name’s Felix, if you’re wondering” the boy, Felix, smiled and wrung his hands nervously. Apparently the ghost had avoided him for the past year, appearing only once he knew their plan. Of course, Jisung didn’t want to be a creep and snitch on the ghost as the invisible being leaned over them during their discussion. Besides, he looked friendly enough.

“Alright, you don’t talk, huh?” the ghost floated down so he was sitting crossed legged right beside the younger. “Hansol has other ghosts to handle, so he figured I should help you with this thing. You know about the shards and that stuff?”

Jisung nodded mutely, still confused with the ghosts intentions.

“Well, you see, Hansol knows stuff, ya know about the different timeline and stuff. He says you’re restricting yourself too much, that his friend could do much much more than see ghosts.”

Oh…great. Was that supposed to be a source of motivation? That Jisung was so pathetic at using his ability towards a better use to the point that he had to send over a ghost around his age to show him the ropes? Well, whatever.

“I can hear you, you know?” Felix sighed heavily before raising his hand. Wisps of glowing substance seemed to rise from his body. Jisung had realized over time that only a few ghosts possessed it, and it was usually the ghosts he would bump into as if solid. “You see this stuff rising off of me like smoke? That’s radiation, like, from the star. It’s what’s keeping the dead Infected on Earth, you see?”

Jisung blinked once, twice, trying to get the message across that he was utterly lost.

“Look, the hundreds of kids this facility ended up killing over time? Yeah, they’re hanging around, trying to avoid you under Hansols’ order. Now, the thing is, Sungie dear, you have no idea what you’re capable of doing with it.”

Nearby, Chenle shifted in his sleep, rolling to face their way. One of his cheeks was mushed against his pillow, his brows creased in tension.

“Do you think you can read his mind?”

Jisungs head snapped sideways to look at Felix the friendly ghost, eyes holding enough judgment to get the message through. Felix raised his eyebrows in challenge, raising his hand once again. It took Jisung a second to reach out his hand, hesitating slightly before grabbing it. The hand that was cold in his own seemed to feel more solid, like carved ice.

“Look over there, Sungie” Felix smiled and pointed to the mirror by Chenles’ bed.

It shouldn’t be possible, but the evidence was right in front of his eyes. Felix had a reflection, right next to his own, glowing pale blue but otherwise looking very much alive. There was a pull in his mind and Felix nodded. Jisung let himself be pulled along, and his surrounding melted into darkness.

_“Jisung, where are you?”_

_His hands were searching blindly, trying to find the other as they tracked down the tunnel. It was pure darkness, and Chenle wasn’t able to generate real light with his illusions. The cave had collapsed and the floor had tilted like a slide, making them fall backwards endlessly until they bumped roughly against a cave wall._

_“Jisung, I’m scared. Where are you?”_

Jisung opened his eyes, blinking away the tears that had formed. Chenle was dreaming about the cave, Hansols’ lair, when they had first ended up there. Jisung hated himself for ending up unconscious, unable to answer let alone search for his friend.

“Do you understand now, Jisung?” Felix asked, pulling away his hand and making himself invisible again. Jisung nodded, a new sense of determination filling his chest. This was his potential, what he could truly do. He didn’t know why, but something inside him told him to be quiet about it.

**Day 5**

“Close your eyes and let your ability lead you”

Taeil now understood what Johnny meant. Now that he was roaming the corridors, trying not to look lost, he could feel himself vibrate with a sort of giddiness the farther he walked. Something was lifting his spirits, telling him that there was something he should know.

He could just say he took a chance and asked a random Guard, but chances never actually worked with Taeil. He’d speak to the right people at the right time, saying the right things to get exactly what he wanted. It wasn’t him manipulating others, just a simple hunch that was 100% correct.

“Hey” he said, leaning against the door right beside a Guard, a gloved hand over his mouth to muffle his words. The Guard remained standing straight but his eyes turned uneasily towards Taeil. That was when Taeil knew he hit the jackpot. “Is there something you want to tell me?”

The Guard flinched slightly at that statement before regaining his composure. The gun in his hand shook slightly, giving Taeil the indication that this guy wasn’t as threatening as he thought to be. Taeils’ eyes moved down to glance at something sticking out of the Guards’ bulletproof vest.

A picture of a girl, smiling.

Ah…so that happened. Lost a child, lost the meaning to live. Taeil stood still next to the Guard until a few kids, the younger ones, passed by and gave the Guard wide smiles. He watched as the kids winked knowingly at him, giving small thumbs up.

My my…was he so lucky this time round.

“There’s a plan” he said softly, crossing his arms. “Anything we need to know?”

The Guard did not move, giving no sign of hearing what Tail had said. Heaving in a sigh, Taeil passed by, purposely making one of his gloves fall to the floor. They both bent down to pick it up at the same time, their heads near each other.

“3RD floor, right next to the door is a large panel.” The Guard whispered urgently, picking up speed. “Secret door, weapon room”

-

The weather was going bonkers.

Sicheng could definitely hear it, even when he was underground. They had managed to break Kun, somehow, and that was REALLY bad news. To be honest, Sicheng never expected to end up as a potential Perfect Black, or one of the Infected soldiers. He had heard countless stories spoken from different mouths as to what actually happened in the Lower Floors.

“More”

Pathetic mandarin pronunciation. Oh yeah, he had a job to do. He could feel the floor ripple with the energy he was sending to amplify the ripple of water. He was currently stuck in a box, big enough for him to stand, but not for him to stretch out his arms. The room outside the box was about the size of a gymnasium, larger than he thought.

The experiment was for him to amplify the sound of water. He could hear the sound of it hitting the top of the box, perhaps pooling around his feet due to the gap under the door. If it were any other experiment, he would have done it quickly. Except, he heard the sound of screaming every time he amplified the waves. Outside the box, someone was begging for him to stop, and after each wave, a different voice replaced it.

It made him terrified, but his neck was burned due to the number of times he had been shocked intentionally. With the water now up to his ankles, he wondered if they would actually electrocute him if he disobeyed.

“More”

Sicheng breathed in, trying to calm himself, before focusing on the sound of water. He had tried so many things, increasing the amplitude, the frequency, the speed. It was as if nothing he did seemed to come near to what they were expecting him to be.

The person begging had a higher voice, a smaller girl, perhaps. She was crying and it drove Sicheng mad because they had placed a child right in the path of danger. There was a buzz and Sicheng cried out in pain, falling to his knees with his hands clutched against the electric collar. Shoot.

“More. Now”

Sicheng pushed his palm against the water, focusing more on the way the water rippled under his fingers than the way it sounded. He sent the first burst of energy through the water, letting the ripples grow outward to tell him the exact location of the girl.

The girl was still crying. That was good. Sound. Sound had waves.

“More!”

Sicheng didn’t forced his energy outward, letting it push the water along with the ripples as it rose and rose along with the network of waves he was now amplifying. Sicheng let out the second burst and the wave grew in size, perhaps towering as high as the ceiling this time, he didn’t know, he couldn’t see.

The girls’ screaming was becoming even higher pitched and louder. Higher amplitude, higher frequency. He could see her clearly now.

The third burst of energy and the wave pushed itself forwards, and Sicheng pulled at the sound waves desperately, forcing it to expand and protect its owner from any damage. There was the sound of something breaking, and the ripples at his feet grew stronger. What had he done?

They gave him a minute to catch his breath before they ushered him out, letting him see the damage he had caused. The walls were bent inwards, the lights now letting out sparks. But nothing could have prepared him for the bodies.

The bodies that were on the ground, placed in various places and most of them were face down in the water. The water around them was turning scarlet like their blood, and when Sicheng walked near the door, passing by some of them, he saw that all of them had large tags pinned to their clothes.

**SUBJECT 2769 – SERUM 970**

**SUBJECT 3892 –SERUM 971**

They were Whites, all of them. Not even being spared the mercy of dying with a name, easily used and then thrown away like garbage. But there should be one, there was one.

And Sicheng saw her, the small girl barely in her tenths shell shocked at the far side. She was safe, he had saved her. It might have been a horrible thing to think, but Sicheng could at least bask in the pride that he saved the last one, even when he had taken away a dozen lives.

-

“We’re like batman and robin” Lucas whispered, dramatically sticking himself against the door.

Doyoung shook his head, knowing very much that he had, indeed, made the cameras replay a loop of the previous night courtesy of Yang Yang sneaking him to the control room with Chenles’ help and simply controlling the main computer.

“It’s just the third floor” he replied softly, and pulled him down the stairway instead. People rarely used the stairway, since it was less convenient since it was placed nearby the elevator anyway. They took the chance and quickly made their way to the 3rd floor, where Taeil had spilled some tea about.

“Panel?” Doyoung whispered, letting Lucas feel against the wall. “It should be big enough to be a door-“

“Got it”

Lucas pulled at a small dent between the wall and panel, forcing it out with the tip of his fingers. Doyoung rushed over, placing a hand and making the panel slide open by itself.

“You could’ve done that earlier” Lucas grumbled, but there was a sliver of humor in his voice. The room inside lit up automatically, making both of them jump in surprise. There could be scientists lingering around. Hurriedly, they made their way inside and closed the panel behind them.

“Woah!” Lucas gasped, and when Doyoung turned, he did the same.

The room was as large was a hall, shelves that reached the ceiling placed close to each other and each one was hung with a variety of weapons. Perhaps they could wreck the place, but Doyoung doubted that it would do anything to stop the Guards from taking the weapons. The floor was dusty, a sign no one actually went down there.

Doyoung could feel mechanical objects behind the walls, perhaps transporting the weapons from the creation room to the weapon room and from the weapon room to the Guards headquarters. Good. That made their job easier. But he was still in the dark on what Lucas and himself should do.

It was Taeil who insisted he bring along Lucas, due to his hunch.

Doyoung was yet to understand what that meant until Lucas took off running to one side of the room, Doyoung running after him hissing urgently for him to stop freaking him out. Lucas didn’t stop running, not until he arrived at the far end of the hall where there were more weapons.

But those weapons looked different.

Their contents and metal glowed in various colors, as if they bore an otherworldly energy. Lucas reached out towards a weapon that glowed black. There were two rows with the same weapon. When his hand drew close, the glow became more prominent, flickering as if trying to convey a message.

“It’s mine” Lucas whispered under his breath, stroking the weapon. “It’s my aura”

Doyoung was reminded that Lucas was a positive white, meant to be experimented on as his ability was fused with technology.

“These are the aura of the infected” Lucas said, walking back to take a look at the rows upon rows of glowing weapons. “Stolen aura”

Something changed in Lucas’ demeanor. Something unnerving and dangerous took its place, making Doyoung back away from his partner, his own aura sizzling in fear within his veins.

Lucas raised his hands, his gaze travelling from one row to another, focused and holding a slight glint of satisfaction as he snapped his fingers-

-and the glow disappeared.

-

Jaemin woke up in cold sweat, hugging his knees close to his chest. He reached out for Doyoung, but realized that the bed was empty. That made him even more terrified.

He never expected separation from his twin could affect him that much. He wasn’t even sure if it was due to their telepathic bond or the bond they had since they grew up together. The door creaked open and a familiar figure walked in, instantly fixating on Jaemins’ shaking form.

“Yang Yang” Jaemin whispered as the boy let himself sit in front of Jaemin. The latter raised the blanket so it covered both of them from head to toe. They were pretty small in stature, but they cuddled up together nonetheless.

“You afraid?” came the question. Jaemin nodded quickly, hugging his knees even tighter. “I’m afraid, too”

Jaemin didn’t answer, waiting for Yang Yang to elaborate. The other boy had probably been there longer than the others, considering he was in charge of the translation of most of their schedules, and even ended up as a regular in the control room.

“It’s strange, you know, how it came to this.” Yang Yang chuckled albeit sadly. “I collected the ones who weren’t Korean like figurines, trying to build a family when my own abandoned me. I never expected it would come to this.

When Sicheng arrived, I was elated! He really couldn’t understand Korean, so I suggested a separate dorm from the others. They agreed quickly, since they had had cases before when some foreigner kid ended up in the facility and couldn’t speak a word, ended up as a White.

The others came later, like an endless amounts of gifts, waiting on my doorstep. One by one, they became a family, and I started to believe that we’d just stay that way. But of course things had to happen, and now I’m just so scared because I don’t want to lose even one person from the family I had built.”

Jaemin could relate heavily to that. When Renjun was taken, he had been distraught. He had closed himself off from th others and hung onto Jeno as if he were the only one that he could trust. The others weren’t family, but when Kun was caught, they had shattered into a million pieces, picking one piece after another as they tried to bring themselves back on track.

“Jeno was always the braver one” Jaemin sniffled dryly, wiping his eyes. “I’m not sure how to deal with all of this without him. He might appear a year later or perhaps a decade, and by them we aren’t the same AGE anymore and I’m scared how to face him if that ever happens”

“But it won’t” Yang Yang comforted, pulling him close so they could cuddle up together. “Jisung and Chenle appeared two months later. If that is what happens, we’ll wait and prepare for two months.”

Jaemin nodded, burying himself within Yang Yangs’ embrace. He was thankful that at least one of his shards was there with him. He wasn’t like Ten who had broken down when the weather acted strange, or perhaps Doyoung who had willingly let the two of his shards go even when their relationship had been strained in the past.

_Jaemin_

Jaemin tensed up, Yang Yang looking over at him worriedly. There was a tug at his heart stronger than before, insistent. Could it be? Or was it a hallucination like the past few times that had happened. Jaemin didn’t dare to speak, didn’t dare to move in case he missed it. Apparently, Yang Yang got the message because he, too, seemed to freeze. They held their breath, waiting…waiting…

_Jaemin?_

_Nana, are you there?_

_We’re out._  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There it is...the start of the end?  
> Do comment on what you feel because I really enjoy reading your comments! Also, sorry if this was a bit rushed and stuff, and you can probably expect more on the time portal team in the next chapter. Thanks for reading this chapter!


	13. A step away

“For the love of God,” Mark sighed as he struggled to reach his shoe that had been flung to the side, courtesy of their rough landing. There were a few things that came with unnecessary time travel.

The most obvious one was that he was his inability to feel his legs. In fact, it seemed as if his nerves were somewhat tangled within his limbs, still trying to unknot themselves and return to their normal places.

“I can’t get up” Jaehyun groaned, lying face down on the ground. “Tyongie-“

“Not doing any better” the other called out from somewhere Mark couldn’t actually see behind him. The only one capable of actually able to move was Jungwoo, who had jumped to his feet to help turn over Yuta who was burying his head in Jenos’ stomach.

Looks like he had to wait for his turn.

Their surroundings were dark. It was probably night time and they seemed to be hidden at the edge of the forest, considering there was greenery behind Jeno. Their hiding spot was hidden by a dip in the ground, making a small wall to hide them from being seen.

Then there was the facility, around a few hundred meters away with towering walls and Guards patrolling from all corners. Mark could spot the top of the Facility from behind the wall, flat and rectangular shaped which gave him a clear image of what the facility looked like from the inside.

Jaehyun reached out a hand and pushed Marks’ shoe back to him telekinetically, earning look of gratitude. Jungwoo had hopped over to Donghyuck, who had propped himself up using his elbows.

“You got him?” Johnny called as Jenos’ eyebrows furrowed to form the telepathic connection. Time seemed to freeze as they waited for an answer, a sign that they had not arrived too late to save the rest of them. “Jeno?”

Jeno blinked rapidly before nodding, sighs of relief “He’s there, he’s here. I think he met the other shards”

-

If Donghyuck were to ever hear again, he would probably close his ears. So many of them were opening their mouths and talking too quickly for him to understand, and he wanted to curse the fact that he was so lost. The only time he got CLOSE to understanding fully, the Hansol dude literally used his way of visual thinking to tell his story.

It was one thing to lip read, but to have someone mentally implant visual images in your head was a whole other story. Due to his way of thinking which constantly shifted depending on the situation, the first few seconds was a mix of visual pictures and a soft inner voice.

Come to think of it, he had begun to have more of an inner voice the longer they travelled. He had been sure that it would fade over time, yet it became more prominent. Something he remembered was that Taeyongs voice had always been his inner voice in a strange way he couldn’t actually explain. Yet, the voice seemed to shift. If he could recall properly, Taeyongs voice wasn’t that smooth, neither was his voice supposed to have a strange tone and accent he couldn’t place a finger on.

There was a tap at his foot and he snapped out of his thoughts, watching Jungwoo smile and say “You’re done” before walking away. Come to think of it, he could definitely feel his legs now.

There was a soft hum in his veins, the way his Glow always felt when it was urging to be let out. Donghyuck never actually thought of the Glow as an ability, more like a friend that had used his body as a vessel, granted that he stay strong enough to bear its presence.

Strangely enough, his Glow had been oddly attracted to that boy Mark. Even then, with Mark struggling to reach for his shoe, his Glow resonated in his veins as if asking if it could go on and help the guy. Thinking back to the cave, he wondered if the guy who previously had his Glow ever restricted it the way he did, or if the Glow remembered ever being used so freely in a different timeline.

Taeyong helped him up, a frown evident on his sharp features. He was looking up at the sky and Donghyuck found himself doing the same.

It was still dark like the night, but there seemed to be clouds circling right above the facility. The small jerks of movement from the others indicated it there might be frequent thunder claps, but Donghyuck couldn’t see any lightning flashes among the clouds. He was also aware of something falling from the spiral, perhaps like ashes.

 _Snow._ Taeyong signed, pointing up at the sky. _It’s snowing but it’s not normal._

The weather wasn’t normal, that meant that Marks’ friend Kun was probably gone. If he closed his eyes, he could imagine where Kun was, probably somewhere in the lower floor where emotional control brainwash was conducted. Thankfully, that one was the least painful, more like a decent into insanity. His Glow had helped when he had been chucked in there, thrumming and buzzing in his body whenever he came close to slipping.

 _I think he’s almost gone_ he signed to Taeyong, keeping a poker face to keep the others from understanding the gist of what they were talking about. _We either have to attack tonight or tomorrow. There’s no other choice if we don’t want to lose a shard._

He saw the small sliver of fear that passed through his brothers eyes. It made him feel guilty. His brother always had problems when it came to the Facility, the trauma running deep. Maybe it was because he couldn’t hear that Donghyuck was less affected by the memories, more reliant on using his indifference as a shield against the trauma.

But that indifference made him seem soulless, and that probably terrified Taeyong the most.

His Glow was prodding again, and he let it fill his body like liquid sun and make him glow. They were covered by the trees anyway, they couldn’t be seen.

The others had crowded around Jeno. Maybe he should stick around and try to understand along the way. A hand grabbed his own and he raised his eyes to meet Marks’. A thrum of emotions seeped within his mind, giving him small indications on what the other was indicating.

That always happened with Mark. He wasn’t sure if it was supposed to happen.

Mark gestured to the ground and slowly dragged him to sit side by side, and Donghyuck identified the nest thrum of emotions as embarrassment. The dude was trying so hard to be a good guy, it was endearing. Honestly, Donghyuck wouldn’t mind a silly banter with the guy. He looked clumsy and easy to pick on.

Well, he’d have to learn sign language first. For some reason, the thought made a smile stretch across his face, butterflies fluttering in his stomach. It’s been a while since he had a friend.

-

“Shoot…they can see the weather acting up” Jaemin whispered, feeling Yang Yang pull him closer. “We can’t wait any longer. It’s either tonight or tomorrow, but there’s no time to plan with the others.”

The door creaked open and they threw off their covers, watching the hallway light sneak into the room. A tall and lanky figure looked at them with resolve, clutching a pillow to his chest. Jaemin was reminded that the boy could communicate with the dead. The thought of an invisible being hovering over them as they talked made child run up his spine.

He turned to Yang Yang and spoke in fluent mandarin, a language Jaemin couldn’t fully understand. It seemed to be a serious convo from the way Yang Yang slid off the bed to confront the younger boy.

_How’s Renjun? Can you feel him?_

Jaemin closed his eyes and focused on the three tugs in his heart, one that was strong, one that was faint and one that seemed to be tenser than the others. Renjun as holding on, he was holding strong.

_He’s not gone, yet. We’re in three separate rooms, so we’re trying to think of a way to get our messages across. Two of us are out of the dorms._

Jisung had padded near him, sitting side by side. Yang Yang leaned forward to whisper into Jaemins’ ear.

“Jisung…he can access the abilities of the dead Infected. There’s a telepath who’s willing to help. We’ll be in the other room, so wake up Taeil once we’re out.”

-

“It’s just a little strain” Felix whispered as he held Jisungs’ hand under the blanket. Alike the others, he was pretending to be asleep. He could hear Chenle move around restlessly under his blanket, waiting anxiously for the connection.

A connection Felix had said he would be able to form if he tried.

“There are two people here, three people in another room, two others in a different room and another two in the weapons room. The other three are down there. Picture them, feel their presence.” Felix was clutching his hand tightly. The success of their mission heavily relied on his ability to connect all of them.

He reached out to the closest two, Yang Yang and Chenle.

Yang Yang whose mind was like being surrounded by a whirlpool, a thousand words spinning round and connecting just to break apart again. Jisung let himself be sucked into it, and he heard Yang Yang shift somewhere below him.

Chenles’ mind was warm, bright and open and received him with such an easy openness…trust. Chenles’ breathing hitched, and Jisung knew he could feel the warmth. He was the spider spinning the web. There were more.

He pushed forward to a different room, and let himself search for the others. He could feel the three, Ten, Hendery and XiaoJun cuddled on one bed. That was better, that was easier. He could feel something when he sank into Tens’ mind of colorful splashes, a quick route to the other two. He didn’t fully understand how the three could be connected in such a way, but it made it easier to access their minds.

Another three edges to his web.

Jaemin and Taeil were nearer, next door. Jaemins’ mind was connected to someone, too, but that person was too far away. He shouldn’t strain himself. Taeils’ mind was like squeezing through metal bars, resistant but possible. Maybe it was what made his so lucky, keeping the bad thing away.

“Can you search for them? The other two” Felix whispered, gently guiding him through the walls of the facility to search for them. The farther he went, the more his chest seemed to burn. It was getting harder to breathe. “Relax, Jisung. You’re doing great”

He could feel them hidden behind the walls, in a room he didn’t know existed.

One mind was like walking through an old clock, with spinning gears and bolts. The other was like running full speed through a tunnel, not knowing if you were going downwards or upwards, simply running freely. Two more were added to his web.

“Jisung…the other three aren’t going to be easy” the ghost told him, as he let his consciousness sink down to the godforsaken lower floors. “It might break you…especially Kun.”

Then save the best for last. He could feel the other members of his web following him, somehow being there as he searched the floors for the proper people. There were screams of agony, tears and pleads to die. The grief in the voices made it hard for Jisung to differ them, and each time he felt like crumbling, one of them would pull him away from the mind, quickly telling him to search someone else.

And he found Renjun. Renjun whose thoughts were trembling like a leaf, barely able to hold on. But his mind as steel, strengthened by resolve as Jisung slipped in, Jaemins consciousness pushing past his own to bring warmth into Renjuns’ mind. He saw Renjun jerk as if surprised, Jaemins voice following soon after.

_We’re here, Junnie…now focus on us. Don’t give up just yet._

Someone in his web was being restless, and he traced it back to Ten. He was scared, but Jisung couldn’t let himself drown in Kuns’ thoughts just yet, not when Sicheng was so close.

Sichengs mind was like walking back in Hansols’ lair, a dark tunnel threatening to swallow them whole. As far as Jisung tried for each out, he didn’t know how long it would take until he could snag onto Sichengs’ consciousness.

It was so close, yet so far away.

But he had so many others through the web, thrumming their own warmth and projecting it through the cave of Sichengs mind. And when the light shone, he could hear a girl crying, a young one. Almost blindly, he followed and reached towards the sound.

Another person joined his web.

One more, just one more. Felix tensed beside him as they roamed the floor where the broken ones were held. Kun was somewhere in there, somewhere among the terrifying thoughts that echoed though his mind. Where was he?

Someone was tugging him along, pulling him.

_I can feel him. He’s over there Jisung._

Renjun. Renjun could track people, and now he was guiding him towards Kun. But when he came to a stop, he felt almost nothing. The voices were silent now, but Kun should be there. Where was he? Again, Renjun guided him to a single flame that flickered weakly among the nothingness, the last of Kuns’ subconscious fighting against the darkness that was trying to engulf it.

 _He’s so small_ Ten thought somberly as Jisung reached out to join the small flame to his web.

It was a shock. The moment it touched the web, he felt a wave of emptiness fill every inch of his body, threatening to pull him down. He knew the others felt it to, and his two dormmates were groaning beneath their blankets.

Kun was projecting his emptiness, his nothingness through the web and it was affecting every single one of them.

“Pull him up, Jisung! You can’t let him drag everyone down!” Felix pleaded s Jisung panted, trying to keep the web together. How could a single mind threaten to collapse the web? How broken had Kun ended up?

 _Guys, help me!_ Ten yelled and sent a flow of warmth through the web, projecting it right at the edge where Kun was. The flame lit up slightly before dimming. That’s what they had to do. They had to make Kun feel.

And then, he felt a dozen things at once.

_The laughter of a boy as they ran side by side_

_The taste of water after a day of dehydration._

_The smell of dew in the morning when the rain had just stopped._

_The warmth of holding hands, followed by an eruption of happiness._

_The sound of a waterfall, falling and voices echoing off a cave._

_The sadness of departing with someone you love, tears cold against their cheeks._

_The sound of a school bell ringing._

_The roughness of a hand brushing the tears of their cheek._

_The sight of a sunset, colors stretching across the sky._

_The sound of someone yelling, too muffled to understand._

_The sound of leaves crunching against bare feet_

_The crackling of a newly lit flame._

And each one seemed to make Kun stronger, feel more than he had for the past few days. He was desperately grabbing onto those memories, recalling what it felt like to be human, and they gave it like a sacrifice. They gave their memories like a gift.

The web tingled with energy, and another person was a part of it. Felix clutched his hand tightly, whispering praises under his breath. His head felt heavy, like someone was weighing it down with a rock, and his chest was burning.

But he had done it. He had connected all their minds…and now it was time to begin planning.

-

“ Shoot, that’s too many” Jeno muttered, jerking his head to the side. His hands were pressed to his temples, elbows resting on bent knees. It had been a few minutes, but apparently, there were more people connecting to Jaemin.

Even though they weren’t directly connected to Jeno, he could feel the buzz of a new telepathic network happening on Jaemins side.

“How many are there?” Johnny asked as Jeno heaved for breath once more.

Jeno scrunched his eyes shut, leaning against his palm in distress. “I dunno…it feels more than ten. Something happened on the other end, as if something heavy was pressing against the link but it disappeared before it broke through. I’m not sure what it was, but they’re still pretty shaken.”

That was putting it lightly. Of course Jeno knew what was going on. He could feel the moment Jaemins consciousness plummeted as if tied to a rock, his sudden fear and shock coursing through their own telepathic link.

_The new network is unstable, Jeno. We can keep this up for only a few minutes._

_What’s going on over there?_

_We managed to disable aura based weapons…and I think Doyoung has the electrical network down, too._

He repeated the information to the others quickly, considering Jaemin was rushing to tell him as much as he could. He could feel the other network tremble with strain, too many emotions running on the same telepathic web. Even though he wasn’t directly connected to it, he could still feel small bursts of emotion from Jaemin that obviously wasn’t his own.

_We did as much as we could. Ten has his own devices that can be unleashed once you enter as a distraction. All of us have our schedules like normal, starting from 8 am to 8pm. We won’t be at the same spot at the same time. There’s no way you can get in aside from the main door._

When he told the others, Taeyongs brow scrunched up. “If we want to release the others, we need to notify the whole building.”

“Why do we have to release the others if we’re gonna reverse time?” Jungwoo questioned, causing eyes to glance at their unofficial leader.

“If we fail to keep all the shards alive, at least the others have a better chance.”

_Jaemin, is there a way for you to make sure everyone knows when we break in simultaneously? We need to make sure all the Infected get out in one piece, just in case-_

_-just in case it doesn’t work out, right? Unless we can somehow access the speakers, we’d probably-wait- Chenle has an idea. Genius, he’s talking about setting off the fire alarm._

_Can you do that when you have schedules?_

_Jaemin, is there a way for you to make sure everyone knows when we break in simultaneously? We need to make sure all the Infected get out in one piece, just in case-_

_-just in case it doesn’t work out, right? Unless we can somehow access the speakers, we’d probably-wait- Chenle has an idea. Genius, he’s talking about setting off the fire alarm._

_Can you do that when you have schedules?_

The line was silent and Jeno assumed that the others were planning. He repeated what has been told to the others. The night was getting dark, and he was getting sleepy. If they had to invade, he would rather not do it while half asleep.

_There’s a plan on our side. You need to confirm to me WHEN you decide to attack. If the plan is going to work out, we need you to be ready at half past seven, near the end of our activities. The first place that has to go down is the control room. That’s where the Intelligence Sector works. The CCTV’s will give up our exact locations along with our body statistics._

_Any way to do that?_

_Doyoung. He’ll be somewhere on the fourth floor tomorrow. If we can get him up there soon enough, we might have a chance to overtake the control room before the Guards can protect it. Jeno…I need you to remember all of this-_

And Jeno listened and tried as hard as he could to remember everything. In his head, he tried to imagine the facility with its eight floors, the area large enough to fit most of the Infected on one floor. Thirteen people scattered across the building, and a whole plan to coordinate them.

_-remember…this building is built to be undamaged. We can’t bring the building down, so if you want to make sure it’s not seen again, we have to delete any type of research or data they managed to collect from us. We have to finish this in less than half an hour, before any reinforcements come._

The line broke off and Jeno opened his eyes, panting heavily. He hugged his knees close to his chest, feeling the anxiety prickle in his veins. They were going to do it…actually going to try and break these teens out. He knew the others were waiting for his voice, for the information, but he just wanted a moment to feel vulnerable, to feel like the young teenage boy he was.

A rough hand brushed against his bare arm, and he blinked away the unshed tears to see Taeyong leaning over him, hands up. It was a question, and Jeno agreed, simply because he wasn’t emotionally stable enough to get the words through.

Taeyongs fingers touched his temple, and he waited, watching Taaeyongs Adams apple bob up and down. It took another minute for Taeyong to process everything before he pulled away, eyes hard as stone.

“There’s a plan” he stated, a small smile etched on his handsome face. “I think you’re gonna be excited for this one.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, this chapter is a little more boring than the others and that means your author here has handle absolute chaos for the following chapters. Hmm...will we lose some people? Well.
> 
> ANYWAY, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and get ready for the next one. Also, I have an idea for an interactive twitter fanfiction so if you think you'd support it you can tell me. I'm still considering the odds of me being loyal to it. STILL, this fanfic has come a long way, and it will be quite the ride for the upcoming chapters. Hope you're ready and do comment because, man, do I love reading them.


	14. Break in

**Second floor, Infected testing and analysis**

Was it difficult to go through the day, knowing that your friends were going to crank up some chaos in a matter of hours? Yes, yes it was. Thankfully, Ten and Jaemins' schedules overlapped with each other, making them share a room, as they awaited their turn to get tested on the second floor. Both of them were literally vibrating from pent up adrenaline as the minutes ticked by. 

Jaemin was the one waiting for the call, the signal that they could start the plan. Thirty minutes tops, eleven floors to cover. Get everyone out, delete all the data, get them together. Piece of cake.

_Nana…we’re ready_

His veins buzzed at the message and he took a moment to steady his breathing. It was time for the facility to go down. He looked up from the puzzle he and ten were busy playing, giving Ten a knowing look. Almost instantly, his gaze darkened and his fists clenched.

Jaemin felt the paper hidden in his pocket wriggle around before shooting out, unraveling to unleash the Beast it had hidden. There was a chorus of screams coming from all floors, the paper they had carefully hidden unlocking their potential and causing a distraction big enough to tear the attention away from the first floor.

Somewhere up in the dorms, Chenle shot out of his bed and grabbed the match box he had stolen from the kitchen, sprinting for the heat detector. There was a yank in his brain as he formed the image of the whole floor being engulfed in flames, letting the illusion of fire and smokes surround him. The match was quickly lit and brought to the detector, setting off the fire alarm. Infected rushed out of their dorms, their brains instantly panicking at the sight of fire and making their way downstairs.

When he glanced up, he saw the cameras on all floors shut down simultaneously; indicating Yang Yang had disabled the CCTV’s momentarily from the control room. Chenle ran to the dorms to force the doors open, checking for any youngster too terrified to move.

He could hear the sound of jets and helicopters in the sky. The Korean Guards were on the move, and Chenle could only hope that the others had secured the first floor fast enough to decrease the amount of Guards they would have to fight. The ground shook as if something big had exploded downstairs.

It has begun.

Back at the second floor, Jaemin and Ten were making a run for it as strange creatures pounced upon the unsuspecting Guards. They could hear the sound of boots against the stairs as the reinforcements came to help out.

“Outside! Run outside, run!” Jaemin screamed at the dazed Infected who were crowding the halls. “Get out of here!”

It took a second for them to realize that the long awaited freedom right in front of them, and they made a break for the stairs. It was suffocating as they ran with the flow of a hundred or so Infected towards the only exit they could find.

Then came the sound of shooting.

Screams of terror made their skin prickle with fear, almost everyone dropping to the floor. Someone was in front, hands splayed to form what seemed to be a shield of neon right in front of the Guards, holding it up as long as possible.

“The food is sometimes drugged” Ten reminded the youngster before he could scream for them to fight back. “They might not even be fully aware of whats happening.”

“Then we might as well die” Jaemin seethed and ran forward, hopping over the curled up figures with his arms stretched, shifting into a blade. The shield was cracking, the Infected that had projected it was close to fainting, too. In front of dozens of guns, Jaemin and Ten waited for it to collapse-

Except they didn’t have to.

The Guards were being thrown upwards by someone, lifted up and thrown into the hard walls of the facility. Blades flashed and red splattered the wall. The shield broke and Jaemin lunged forward with his blade, Ten right behind him with his own weapon, a long pole.

“Johnny” Jaemin gasped as he met the calm eyes of his friend. They didn’t get much of a reunion as the Guards started to shake off the daze. Taeyong was screaming for the other Infected to get out of there, pushing them down the stairway where they knew Donghyuck was securing the first floor.

“Hyung, we need to get Kun and Renjun” Jaemin stated as he slashed at the last of the Guards, kicking him in the gut for good measure. “Lower floors are only accessed by the elevator.”

“Not quite” Johnny replied, frowning. “Apparently the Guards are going through teleportation devices on all floors, trying to refrain from anyone escaping.”

**First floor, Infected testing and analysis**

It was absolute mayhem. Due to the distraction, most of the Guards had made their way upstairs, making the first floor less protected. He didn’t expect the reinforcements to appear from what seemed to be a portal in the sky, giving them less than a few seconds to prepare for an upcoming attack.

Mark had a job to do, but that meant leaving Donghyuck the only one to cover the first floor when the other Infected run down to escape. He held onto Donghyucks shoulder, jerking his head to the door where they could hear jets and helicopters landing a few meters away.

Donghyuck nodded his head, pushing Mark towards the stairs in an attempt to get him to run. They needed to follow the plan. Mark bit his lip, fully trusting Donghyuck to take care of the situation. The younger boy Glowed, his hair lifting with the force of his aura. It seemed to be more prominent, stronger and unrestrained.

Mark ran up the stairs before he could watch Donghyuck take the Guards down. His speed allowed him to avoid the Guards blocking the stairs, throwing them away as he made a dash for the fourth floor, where Doyoung was kept.

He saw the random creatures filling the floors he passed by, and the pieces of paper that were randomly scattered on the floor. Whoever that Ten person was, that was one hell of an ability. The fourth floor was just as chaotic.

He could see a portal spilling out more Guards from the far end of the hallway, their movements slow to Marks’ eyes. He could feel the ground crack under the velocity that he used to gain speed, wuickly forcing open the doors to find their particular member.

He was in the third room, strapped down and currently struggling with the restraints. A scientist loomed over him, a needle in hand and reaching to inject it into his friends’ skin in slow motion. Mark threw the man away, unstrapping Doyoung and pulling the seemingly frozen member along as he made a sprint for the top floor.

The top floor was almost overtaken. A single boy was on his knees as the Guards pointed their guns towards him, a lever that read “Emergency” right beside him. He was probably the Yang Yang boy Taeyong had stated would force the cameras to shut down before they could identify their locations. There were too many Guards in the room.

Pressing harder on the balls of his feet, Mark pushed his speed further as he dragged the Guards backwards, forcing them towards the portal that was spinning like a vortex at the other side of the room. Time was running out and so was his stamina, and to cover an area the twice the size of a football field was exhausting.

But he had to clear the room to give Doyoung access.

He didn’t know how many seconds passed when he was able to shove the last of the Guards bacl into the portal and break the device creating it in the first place. Almost instantly, time around him resumed to normal and he fell to his knees.

Doyoung, who had been slightly suspended in the air, came crashing down, gasping for breath. Yang Yang blinked a few times, not believing that the dozens of Guards surrounding him just now were gone. In fact, the whole level was clear of anyone but the.

“W-why do I feel like this” Doyoung coughed out, stumbling to his feet and dragging Yang Yang with him. Mark stood up, rolling back his shoulders and raising an eyebrow.

“Whiplash”

**Third floor, weapon creation**

Lucas knew that it started the moment he heard the fire alarm go off. The scientists outside the room he had been kept in were screaming, and Lucas knew that meant Tens’ drawing had attacked. A year being used as a weapon made it fairly easy for Lucas to near the pain.

So, when he forcefully pulled his hands out of the restraints, the skin under it blistered red and also breaking his thumb in the process, he couldn’t care less. A hand was free and then his other limbs were unrestrained, feeling weightless due to be being strapped down for too long.

He made his way outside, running full speed past the scientist and other Infected who had were still in a daze. He still had a job to do! He knew he had less than a minute before the Guards picked up the threat and called upon the brainwashed Infected. Thankfully, all of them were kept on the same floor.

The siren blared in his ears, and he was vaguely aware of the sounds of guns somewhere below him. Fourth floor, fifth floor…sixth floor!

They had started exiting their dorms, eyes blank and mindless as they followed the directions forced to their brains through the collars. Lucas knew that there was no helping these teens. He liked to think of them as soulless, people who were dead but were still moving. No one could reverse the effect of the brainwash.

So when he decided to take the risk he had always feared, a sense of relief washed over him. It took only a snap of his fingers and the brainwashed Infected fell to the ground like puppets. He let his aura travel through the whole floor, searching for those he had missed along the way.

They were simply empty shells, used for their abilities and no longer had their sense of identity. He had let them free, for a while. If the facility had mercy in them, now that they were powerless, they would shut down the collars and give them peace of eternal sleep.

“Yo man, did you kill them?” a high pitched voice asked, his voice cracking slightly. Lucas turned to look at the other boy, considerably shorter than him with pitch black hair and the most shiniest eyes he had ever seen. Another boy came up from behind him, panting heavily due to the many floors.

His features were more delicate. When he scanned the crumpled forms, his eyes held extreme sadness and understanding.

“I could try and fix them up, but we don’t have much time” he said in a very soft voice, the exact opposite of how Lucas usually talked. Man, was this guy adorable, form the way he bounced on the balls on his feet and the way his fluffy hair seemed to linger in the air before settling down in its normal position.

“Dude, you’re staring” the smaller one supplied helpfully, successfully dragging Lucas out of his thoughts. “Anyway, I’m gonna use the elevator now that Doyoung hyung has access to it. Do your thing!”

He disappeared with a strong breeze before reappearing inside the elevator, the doors shutting painfully slowly in comparison to the others speed. They watched it close, albeit awkwardly.

“So…um…hi” the other boy smiled taking out his hand. “Jungwoo”

Lucas’ eyes lit up as he accepted the handshake. He felt something in him burst into bubbles that popped in his stomach. “Lucas. Let’s go to third floor”

There was the sound of strong wind before they saw the air at the end of the hallway shift into a spiral. Lucas knew exactly what that was an proceeded to pull Jungwoo down the stairs as fast as he could. He could hear the others pulse in under his fingers, short and fast.

“That’s a portal. They’re gonna come out in dozens, and we’ll be surrounded in minutes”

Jungwoo scrunched his nose rather adorably, almost tripping over a step. “So, the third floor-?”

“Still some Infected stuck in there, and the Aura Weapon data are also kept there. We need to destroy it”

They managed to make it to third floor without crossing paths with any Guards, the stairway clear meaning that the first floor was probably handled well. They thrust open each and every door they could find, unstrapping the teens they found.

Jungwoo felt deeply saddened by the sight of the technopaths used as an energy source near the end, and took his time to heal whatever he could before letting them go. Some of the Infected were fending off the Guards that were coming from the portal, and Jungwoo could see sudden flashes of light and the sound of crunching from there.

At least they were helping out somehow.

“Lucas, I think I cracked it” came a deep voice which made Jungwoo run over along with the other boy. An infected was bending over a door, a metal padlock in his hand. Apparently he managed to break it open using a paper clip and scissors.

“Wonderful, XiaoJun!” Lucas cheered and they barreled into the room. It was filled with cabinets and folders, a table with a laptop at the corner of the room. Jungwoo made himself busy making the paper crumble into dust in his hands while Lucas tried to rip apart as many as possible.

“I’m not that much of a hacker” Xiao Jun explained straightening up. “I think Hendery is more suited for this”

Jungwoo was just about to question how on Earth tey were going to get Hendery there when Xiao Jun seemed to shift the way Jeno and Jaemin did, a different person standing in his place, looking slightly disoriented.

“Should have warned me earlier” the boy, Hendery apparently, groaned before bending over the laptop. He quickly typed a few keys, eyes focused on the screen before a blue light illuminated his face, the light from the homescreen.

“Can you delete everything?” Lucas asked, puling open yet another cabinet and proceeding to rip more papers.

Hendery nodded, biting his bottom lip. “Yeah, you can definitely count on me”

**Floor 4, experimentation and White testing**

Taeil was partially in shock, even when he KNEW what was supposed to happen. For one, he did NOT expect to be met with a very calm Chenle surrounded by FIRE when he ran up to the dorms to get him. The latter had replied that “It’s not real, hyung” but it was hard to trick the mind to not believe what was so evident in front of his eyes.

On the way down, they had stumbled upon a few others, in which they had a brief exchange of hi’s before departing. One might question how they managed to split up in such a way that he was now with Chenle and Yuta while Jaehyun along with Xiao Jun had run off to the fifth floor, but he couldn’t exactly tell.

The only thing he could process was his mouth saying “Yuta, come with us”. Hopefully, it was Lady Luck.

His hunch was once again correct when they came face to face with more Guards, and it wasn’t like Taeil or Chenle had anything to defend against them. Instead, Yuta had collapsed and a guy somewhere behind them had rolled a bomb underneath their feet with such accuracy that the only thing that brought them harm was he splatter of blood and flying limbs.

Yuta woke up with a start, jumping to his feet and sticking out his tongue in distaste at the taste pf blood in his mouth. That was a different problem. Taeil was quick to grab as many weapons as he could from the bloodied bodies, heading towards the end of the hallway where he knew Jisung was kept.

It was a hunch that made him throw a bomb directly into the portal a few seconds later before he flung himself into a room which, coincidentally, held his son. Jisung was wide eyes, splayed on the table like a rat ready for dissection, and Taeil absolutely loathed the idea of his son going through it every day.

There was an explosion as another bomb went off somewhere beyond the portal, strong enough to break the device that created it. He heard the sound of air being sucked and the portal vanished, making it easier for Yuta and Chenle to free the other Whites.

“You’re fine, Dads here” Taeil muttered as he slammed the butt of the gun against the cuffs, trying to get them to crack open. “It’s gonna be fine”

He did it again and again until it snapped open, the system jammed and simultaneously releasing the rest of Jisungs’ limbs. Taeil was quick to help his son into a sitting position, ushering him off the metal bed frantically as an explosion happened somewhere above them.

Jisungs’ eyes moved towards the side, and he seemed to stare at nothing.

“Taeil, tell your son to hurry!” Yuta called, wiping away the blood from his cheek. “The Guards from the other floors might see us here!”

Chenle grabbed Yutas’ hand, shaking his head. They took one last look at the father and son before taking off towards the staircase, heading towards the fifth floor where there would be more evidence to destroy.

Taeil didn’t bother watching them go, instead more fixated on seeing his son interact with the invisible being he knew existed but couldn’t see. Jisungs’ eyes flickered from one spot to the other, seemingly frightened.

“What do you see, Sungie?” Taeil whispered once Jisungs’ eyes traveled back to his father. He didn’t have to answer, because there was a rush of power, a rush of aura beneath his fingertips where he held onto Jisungs’ shoulders.

And suddenly.

The room was filled with teens that wore the same clothes and the same look of sadness.

**Floor seven, dorms**

If Mark was being honest, he didn’t plan on going anywhere on his own, but that tall guy was shooting heart eyes and Jungwoo, so oh well. Given, he had done the same thing when he first met Donghyuck. He let the elevator go up to the eighth floor where he was sure was already cleared out if the plan actually worked.

The bell dinged and the door opened, only for a flash of brown and black to zoom inside, pressing the close button frantically. Apparently, it was Jeno and he was being chased by the Guards on the eighth floor.

“C’mon, close!” nearly squeaked, pressing frantically. Mark, although exhausted by his previous speed runs, was quick to redirect the bullets back at the Guards until the doors managed to close.

The elevator moved downwards back towards the seventh floor where he was sure Lucas and Jungwoo were still waiting at. Except, the door opened for them to be exposed to a hallway of Guards, all with guns trained on them. One of them blocked the elevator doors from closing using his foot.

“Keep your hands in the air, or we’ll shoot”

Mark desperately tried to summon up any sort of energy he had to sprint them away, but it was obvious that he needed more time. Jeno was quick to shift himself into a shield, blocking Mark from getting hit by the incoming bullets. Mark could almost imagine Jeno wheezing in pain at the contact of the bullets.

Then he saw it.

Someone was levitating right behind the Guards, near the portal. Then there were more, all of them wearing the same facility jackets, all of them seemingly glowing from head to toe with aura that radiated off of them like wisps of smoke.

“Who on earth?” Mark whispered right before the windows of the hallway shattered from a high pitched scream. The sound forced Jeno back into his normal form, crouching down with Mark with their hands pressed to their ears to could block out the sound.

The Guards went down as well, and before they could stand back up, vines started wrapping around them and what seemed to be water blobs setting themselves over their heads. It was a horrifying moment when Mark saw the Guards suffocate one by one, dropping to the ground. Jeno kicked away the leg that was blocking the door, pressing the button rapidly to make the door close.

It was just for a moment, but Mark saw the slender figure of a boy among the ghosts, his eyes wide with desperation.

“What floor?”

“Lowest”

**Lower Floor 2, Brainwash and mental breaking**

After meeting up at the second floor, they had decided to board the elevator to make the job easier. The elevator was wide enough to fit all four of them, Jaemin, Ten, Johnny and Taeyong. It was unsettling because most of them had never been to the lower floors before. Taeyong didn’t seem to be fending off that well either.

“I’m going for Kun” Johnny and Ten said at the same time, looking at each other incredulously. It was a short moment but their hands met and their fingers intertwined, a silent understanding passed through them.

It might not have been as obvious as Kun, but Johnnys’ presence had made his heart jump, as if it recognized his presence. Jaemin looked away, perhaps feeling unsettled that he had been unable to meet up with Jeno yet. He could feel him somewhere up there, but Renjun was closer. Renjun needed him.

“Renjun and Sicheng are at the lowest level, the Cells” Taeyong said shakily, hugging himself tightly. “You guys get off on the second lower floor. Be careful, though. It’s not exactly a happy place.”

He didn’t need to say anything else because when the elevator door opened they were met with a long hallway that grew darker the farther they looked. The doors were far away from each other, and were from thick metal. The walls were cobblestone, the ground cement. It looked like a medieval prison in a way.

Johnny and Ten intertwined their fingers as they stepped out, fear looming over them.

“Don’t think too much about the other ones in the rooms” Taeyong called as the elevator doors closed slowly. “They’re long gone.”

_They can’t be saved to put it simply._

With the elevator light gone, they could only rely on the lanterns fixed on the walls, too small to provide proper lighting. Each step they took resonated off the walls, echoing. It was eerily quiet, and Johnny was reminded of the mental asylum games he used to play.

“My name is Ten” Ten introduced, trying to keep the tremble out of his voice. “I was born in Thailand, raised in Korea and learn Mandarin as an extra language. I went to an international school, which means I can speak English fluently.”

His voice was almost painfully loud in comparison to the silence, but Johnny held onto it. He needed the comfort of knowing someone he could trust would be there to fight whatever appeared from the corners of the place.

“I’m Johnny…raised in Chicago and ended up in a high school in Korea. Dad’s work”

Something clenched at his chest and he stopped in his tracks at the exact moment Ten did, both of them sharing a look of curiosity. They had stopped in front of a door. There was a control box outside of the room, the LED lights taunting them. Ten remembered the absolute emptiness that had almost consumed him whole when Jisung attempted to connect him to the telepathic web.

Sudden anger coursed through his veins and he pulled out a piece of paper where he had used blue watercolor to paint a wave. In a swift movement, he waved the paper in front of the control box, letting water stream from it to drench the box.

The LED lights flickered once, twice, before dimming down to nothing. The door unlocked itself, as if ushering them to enter as quickly as possible. They didn’t hesitate to rush inside, instantly fixating on a weak looking figure right in the middle.

“Kun!” Johnny yelled, reaching for his friend. He gently pulled the boy up into his arms, letting Ten flutter his fingers all over Kuns’ form, suppressing a sob. He looked so weak as if he had not been given enough food and water for days. He looked like someone on the brink of death, a step away from disappearing completely.

Ten flipped through his book, settling on a picture of a water bottle and summoning it out, the ink quickly turning solid. As he uncapped the bottle, Johnny looked over at him fondly.

“Never would have guessed you’d keep a drawing of a water bottle in your book”

Ten shrugged, propping Kuns’ face up to let the water slowly trickle into his mouth. There was no movement until Kun coughed; choking on the water until Johnny pushed his torso forward, patting his back. He let out a broken sound at the sight of his friend.

“Like this” Johnny said, lifting Kuns hand to his throat and making swallowing movements. “You swallow like this.”

It was a peculiar sight to behold, but Ten decided to dismiss any strange thoughts, instead focusing on helping his friend consume the water that had been withheld for too long.

**Lower floor 3, Cells**

They had arrived at the lowest floor, currently standing still in the middle of the hallway. Taeyong was having extreme flashbacks just by beings there, and Jaemin doubted he could be able to manage a few steps forward. The elevator behind them dinged, light spilling in as the doors opened.

Jaemin and Taeyong jumped, turning around quickly to be met face to face with none other than Jeno and Mark. Both sides sighed with relief and Jaemin launched himself into Jenos’ arms, hugging him tight.

_I was so worried about you. I thought I’d have to grow up without you_

_You’re not growing up without me, Nana_

_Promise me?_

_Promise._

“Where’s Donghyuck?” Mark asked, looking over at Taeyong who was able to collect himself enough to stand straight. The floor above them shook, and the faint sound of screaming could be heard. Mark gave Taeyong a knowing look before heading back to the elevator, gesturing for Jeno to continue with Jaemin and Taeyong.

“We’ll meet you outside” he promised, “We have ten minutes, so hurry up”

“Hurry up,” Taeyong repeated under his breath, a small smile etched on his lips. “What an impatient speedster”

He turned to the twins, eyes glazing over with determination in an attempt to hide his fear. “I know you can feel where his is. I trust you enough to get to him”

He wasn’t wrong. Before they knew it, they were running passed Taeyong who was more focused on releasing the other Infected from the Cells. They blindly ran with their bond tugging them forward, leading them to the boy who was waiting for them, who had been separated from for too long.

There were so many turns to the Cells, so many that were empty due to the lack of potential users. For some reason, Renjun had been hidden at the far end, perhaps in fear that he would be found by anyone searching.

But no one could hide Renjun for them, not even the scientists.

They came to a halt in front of a door and Jaemin wasted no time in shifting into a chainsaw. The sound was harsh against the silence, but they were desperate to get their friend out. The door went down with a bang and Jaemin shifted back, popping his shoulder muscles.

“Injun!” Jeno yelled as they approached the figure lying motionless on the cemented ground. Under his touch, the skin of the boy was ice cold. He was still breathing, yes, but he was obviously too weak to walk on his own.

“Help me,” Jeno said and Jaemin pulled Renjun onto Jenos’ back ready to get him out. There was a sound coming from the Cell next door and Taeyong appeared at the doorway, holding onto a very shaken up boy.

“I think we have who we want. I need you guys to take care of him and get out of here. I need to find my brother.”

**Floor 5, serum creation**

The fifth floor was full of scientists, as they expected. It looked exactly like every stereotypical chemisty lab he could think of.

“I think Hendery is better at the fighting part” Xiao Jun complained and once again, he was shifted back to his counterpart. Hendery blinked the dizziness out of his eyes before realizing they were hiding beside the entrance of the fifth floor.

“He never does the dirty work, does he” Hendery sighed before peeking. Jaehyun wondered if it ever occurred to them how strange it was looking at them shift from one person to another, even though they were two different people.

“I bet there’s a whole lot of Guards guarding the scientists while they take their research” Jaehyun sighed heavily. There was a pattering of feet and both of them straightened up, ready to fight whoever was going to appear at the staircase.

Yuta and Chenle halted in their steps.

Jaehyun exhaled his breathe, jerking his head to the doorway and mouthing “Too many”. Apparently they got the message because they also stuck to the wall on the other side of the doorway. It was them against who knew how many people were in there.

“3…2…1”

Chenle conjured the image of a giant dragon, sending it straight through the doorway and they ran behind it, using the image as a screen. True to his hunch, the hallways were filled with Guards and the labs had scientists cramming s many documents as possible into their bags. There was an active portal on the other side.

“I’m taking down the portal” Hendery yelled, knife in hand as he pushed through the commotion happening in the hallways.

Jaehyun was about to scream that there was no way he was gonna get through all of them without being slashed to nits until he saw the black liquid that came with the first cut, seeing it quickly heal up.

“He can’t be hurt” Chenle called, rolling a bomb right into one of the labs before shutting the door tightly. The explosion made the floor shake. “GET OUT OF HERE IF YOU CHERISH YOUR PUNY LIVES!!!”

Apparently, the scientists didn’t have to be told twice as they scuttled and ducked away from them, heading towards the staircase. Jaehyun had less mercy for the Guards, yanking them upwards to the ceiling and throwing them into tables and desktops. He heard the wound of sucking wind and saw the portal close.

They had the upper hand.

“Jaehyun, shield!” Yuta yelled somewhere and Jaehyun did not hesitate to pull Chenle towards Hendery, grabbing the boy close before making a telekinetic barrier around them just in time to hear the hissing of the bomb.

“Close your eyes” Jaehyun ordered, even when he moved to do it to Chenle manually. He could feel the splatter against his mental shield, cringing deeply at the thought. He did not take away his hand from Chenles’ eyes, even when he opened his own. The scene was as gruesome as he pictured, and he quickly scooped up Chenle is his arms, letting the younger boy bury his face in his neck.

Too much blood. Too many limbs. The place was really big. It would take a long time to finish destroying every single piece of evidence. He saw Hendery shift into Xiao Jun, the other one gagging at the scent and sight of so much blood. He felt the first tendrils of guilt threaten to push him down but waved away the thought.

He had to get Chenle to the staircase first, even if it meant treading through human remains.

**Lower Level 1, Potential/Perfect user analysation**

Anger was coursing through his veins.

The place he where he let him succumb to being a lab rat for the sake of his hyung getting rest, the place that had haunted his hyung every single night. He hated the place more than ever.

The people working there never gave showed them any mercy, and neither will he. The Glow in his veins hummed in satisfaction as neon spikes shot through the walls and rooms where he knew so many had suffered. Each room as large as a gym, each one tainted with the blood of Infected.

Where Whites went to die.

Guards were charging but he felt his Glow swell once again and suddenly, the person was a slammed brutally to the side, his blood splattering on the wall. They weren’t trying to fight back anymore. They knew who he was. They knew what he could do.

He knew what he could do.

The Glow hummed once again, asking him for permission to take down the whole facility. No…they were still inside and he couldn’t pinpoint everyone’s exact location. He let his glow tear at the walls, slither on the floor like snakes in search for any person he could have missed.

None of them deserved mercy.

_Some of them do_

Pause.

Did his inner voice just suggest something? Donghyuck wasn’t able to think of an answer because strong arms had wrapped around his torso, binding his arms and making sure he couldn’t get out. His veins buzzed the way they always did when Mark was near.

Mark was very near.

He was forcefully turned around and pressed towards the latters’ chest, and for the second time, he let himself tear up in front of Mark. There was always something about the boy that made his dam crack; as if he were the one holding the reins of his Glow and forcing it back.

Donghyuck couldn’t hear, but the message Mark had for him clear.

_That’s enough. You’ve finished them off, now you can stop._

A different pair of arms wrapped around him from behind and the scent he was so accustomed too indicated that Taeyong was also there. The last of his Glow died down, leaving behind the devastating remains of his ability. It took him a while to pull back, his gaze fixating on Mark before trailing to Taeyong who was now signing.

_I think we can get out of here now that-_

He didn’t get to finish because suddenly there was a blinding light that forced him to close his eyes, shining past his eyelids. His head spun and his ears rang.

**Eighth floor, Control room**

“Doyoung, whats going on?!”

He could hear Yang Yang scream as they tried to crawl blindly to on another. It was hard to think from the way the light was burning into his mind, filling his head with smoke.

“I don’t know! I think it’s a stunning technology used for Infected!”

If his guess was right, it meant that it wasn’t an aura based device. It was something created after intense research on Infected genes and brains. It worked, considering he was almost paralyzed by how strongly the light made him react.

**EMERGENCY SELF DESTRUCT ACTIVATED. BUILDING WILL SELF DESTRUCT IN THREE MINUTES.**

Oh no.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this is your authors attempt at writing action, uhuk. Sorry if it wasn't really satisfactory and all huehue. Hopefully, I can improve in the future. Hmmm...what happens after? I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and who knows if the next one is the last? Will everyone survive? Let's see about that.


	15. Shift

“What’s that? What’s going on?!”

Johnny had no idea. All he could process was that there was a blinding white light shining from the door, indicating the interior was lit up. He had to squint against the light, although it was as bad as trying to look up at the sun.

“I don’t think that’s a normal light” Ten spoke, turning away from the building while blinking the spots out of his eyes. “Guys?”

He was talking to the two other that Johnny now knew were named Hendery and Xiao Jun. Both were seemingly unaffected the source of light, looking around at the other Infected who were trying to shield their eyes.

“They’re still inside!” Jaehyun called, attempting to move closer only to realize the burning sensation grew worse the closer he came. “The buildings’ gonna blow up”

Everyone was still trying to catch their breath, and even so, none of them could even enter the place without going blind. It was a lost cause.

Xiao Jun straightened up, grabbing Tens’ shoulder and forcing him to make eye contact. “Hendery and I will go. The light isn’t affecting us.”

“Renjun?”

The boy who was now conscious sat up, clearing his throat and smacking the side of his head with his palm. “Top floor, control room. The others are at the first lower floor.”

Ten was about to retort but Hendery grabbed his face lightly, pinching his cheeks. He brought his hand down to the leather book Ten had held on to the whole time before tapping it lightly. The two unaffected Infected sent a knowing look towards Ten before rushing inside.

“Why are they unaffected?” Yuta asked from the side, Chenle clutched tightly in his arms.

Ten didn’t respond, simply opening his book to a page that was filled with words except for the middle.

-

“I’ll get the top!” Hendery yelled before Xiao Jun could offer. It was seven floors up, and Hendery was faster one. He could only nod, watching his counterpart takeoff up the staircase. The elevator was still moving downwards to his floor, and he was sure that they had around a minute left.

The elevator door dinged a few seconds later and he rushed in, fingers curling anxiously at his shirt. He had to hurry and find them before time ran out. The clock was ticking.

“Oh My God” was the first thing he blurted once he arrived. The place was a wreck, from the torn walls, litter of bodies and the broken floors. Someone had completely destroyed the place.

“T-Taeyong?!” Xiao Jun yelled, running forward and hopping over bodies. “Mark?”

The building shook and Xiao Jun was suddenly filled with terror. He sprinted this time, desperately trying to find a wherever they went. He cursed the building for being too large for its own sake.

“TAEYONG?!!!”

“WE’RE HERE!!!”

And Xiao Jun ran.

-

Shoot, shoot, shoot-

There was no time for him to stop and regain his breath. Every floor made him run slower, but he couldn’t stop. Not when the clock was ticking and who knew when the building would finally explode? The steps were tall and so were each flight. His fatigue was starting to catch up.

“Floor Eight!” he yelled to himself, probably in an effort to get himself moving faster as he sprinted into the control room. The climb must have at least taken-

**30 seconds left**

He could see them almost instantly, right at the end of the hall where there were an endless number of computer screens. It was also where a desk full of buttons and levers was placed, giving them access to the elevator. He could see the button lights fading one by one, as if the building was shutting down.

“YANG YANG, STAND UP!” He screamed once he was close enough. The only place they could escape from was the stairs, unless they could make the windows open. The windows, however, were blocked by metal bars that seemed to have a mechanism.

“It’s gonna blow!” Yang Yang screamed when Hendey managed to get them both up to their feet. He could feel the ground shake and a wave of terror passed over him. Both Yang Yang and Doyoung had their eyes closed tightly, hands pressed to their heads.

This wasn’t looking good for them.

“Doyoung, can you do ANYTHING to open that window”

**20 seconds left**

Hendery knew they didn’t have much time so he dragged Doyoungs’ hand straight to the bars, pressing it down in case Doyoung couldn’t feel it. Apparently, Doyoung was lucid enough to understand and summon the energy to force the bars upwards, enabling him to access the window.

**Ten seconds.**

It was hard to push open the rusty window, but he managed to do it. Praying that the others could see him he grabbed Yang Yang by the waist and flung him outside. When he moved to do the same for Doyoung, the other held his wrist.

“The elevator is shut down. The only way it can go up is by manually pressing the button. The lights will turn off last, around ten seconds before it blows up.”

-

**20 seconds left**

“CLOSE, CLOSE, CLOSE!!!” Xiao Jun all but begged, pressing the button rapidly. The elevator was not functioning, and they were most probably gonna die. They could not with three shards in his hands.

The elevator speaker crackled and a very familiar voice came from it.

“I’m gonna manually press the button. Send my regards to Ten”

No…no way.

**15 seconds.**

He was not leaving Hendery to die alone, no matter if he had the chance to. Both of them were from the dame place, the same book…the same person. If Ten brought them to life together, there was no way he was going to let them be separated that way.

Xiao Jun made his choice, stepping out of the elevator when the doors closed. He could hear Hendery call his name frantically from the speakers, but he let the door shut in front of him. There was a CCTV right in front of the elevator, and Xiao Jun hoped Hendery could see him, and perhaps pretend they were in the same room.

**10 seconds.**

**-**

Kun was the one to spot the window opening at the top floor.

Through his daze of malnourishment, he screamed at them to look seconds before Hendery threw Yang Yang out of the window. Jaehyun spread out his fingers, groaning as he caught Yang Yangs’ weight using his telekinesis and levitating him towards them.

Jaemin reached out to catch the disoriented boy, blinking his eyes rapidly as they welled up with painful tears.

Apparently, Doyoung was next but they paused for a moment, Doyoung saying something to Hendery quickly. It gave time for Jaehyun to prepare to catch Doyoung as he fell.

Doyoung was slightly heavier, but Jaehyun was desperate to have the boy in his arms again. When he his feet touched the ground, they embraced each other, hugging tightly.

“Why isn’t he jumping? Where’s the others?” Ten asked, panicked.

Doyoung looked at him sadly, and Ten felt something heavy drop in his gut. Kun wrapped his arms around Ten when the first of the tears fell, even though Doyoung had not yet spoken. “The elevator is shut down and can only be operated manually from the control room.”

The book slipped from between Tens’ finger and thudded onto the floor heavily as he leaned back, utterly distraught. The sudden weight made Kun stumble back, right into the strong arms of Johnny. The ones at the lower level weren’t out yet.

**10 seconds left**

The lights went out and they could look at the Facility properly. Jaehyun and Doyoung held on to each other, praying…praying…

“Come on, it’s gonna blow” Jungwoo said softly, knowing very well that no one was going to listen to him. Among them were the shards that came from the same star. If they lost, even one, there would be no use for all of them to survive. Even if it meant getting to live, they would not move.

Not until they were together.

Jaehyun spread his fingers, hoping that he had enough energy to cover all of them. Taeil had Jisung and Chenle in his arms and the rest of them huddled together. Jaemin and Jeno did not shift, perhaps wanting to feel each other’s body heat for comfort.

Jisung could see the many ghosts of the infected crowding behind them, ready to lend a helping hand if things went wrong. He might have unintentionally unlocked hid ability to summon them into solid forms, but he was glad he did. There were more people supporting them than he realized.

Hansol was near, biting his fingernails anxiously.

**3 seconds.**

A blur of color made its way out of the building, and three figures rolled onto the ground. Mark slammed against Lucas’ kneeling figure from the speed he had ran, the last energy he could squeeze out. Three people, not four.

“GUYS-!” Taeil yelled but Donghyuck was faster.

He quickly rolled to his knees and Glowed, creating a dome around them just as the building burst outwards in an explosion if red and orange. The heat was almost unbearable and Mark was suddenly reminded of the day they had escaped the petrol station in an identical manner.

This time, though, there were more people and he wasn’t screaming. He wasn’t afraid, because he trusted Donghyuck enough to protect them. The clouds of fire looked strangely beautiful around the dome, as if they werein the middle of a sun.

In the middle of a star.

One by one, they opened their eyes and gazed at their surrounding with fascination. Ten had picked up his book once more, turning the pages until he was met with the page he had opened earlier.

The page that now had two people painted in the middle.

21 people. They had survived and Mark could feel the buzzing of their auras’, as if they were having their own silent reunion. It was a hunch, but Mark felt like they had managed to get all the shards. Jisung departed from Taeil, reaching out a hand and the figure of Hansol appeared, now glowing blue like the core of the star in his lair.

“Yunwin” he whispered and then there was a glowing yellow light forming the figure of a man right in front of Hansol, a similar light shrouding Jaehyun, Taeyong and Doyoung.

“Woochul” was the next name, and this time the figure was glowing blue. The same color was radiating off of Jaemin, Jeno, Renjun and Yang Yang.

Two down.

“Jinkwon” came the next name, and it was pink, light and pale. Johnny, Kun and Ten shared a look of wonder as they formed a pink glow.

“Ji-aan” and the orange light formed another body figure, the same shade that Chenle and Jisung were glowing.

“Seung-chan” he continued. The form lit up purple and the same color quickly glowed off of Lucas and Jungwoo.

One more. Just one more.

“Hwi”

The last figure was a shocking red. Mark and Donghyuck held each other as they started glowing the same color. Had they done it? Had they found all the shards?

The flames that surrounded the dome changed color, turning darker like the color of galaxies. The forms of Hansol and the other glowing figures shifted and they were pulled into the spiral of colours that surrounded them.

Strong wind lifted their hair up and forced their eyelids to close. The ground under them shifted as if losing matter, making their stomachs drop. They were still standing, but they couldn’t feel the floor. The world around them was shifting, echoes of the memories they made passing by in the speed of light.

Taeyong ran to Donghyuck, holding him tight because he knew what was happening, and if they didn’t exist in the next timeline, at least he wanted to disappear with his brother in his hands.

“I hope we meet again, Hyuckie” Taeyong screamed while sobbing. Around him, the others had started to understand the situation and were now holding on to each other. It was as scary as death. “If you’re reborn, remember to eat well, respect you elders and find love somewhere. Maybe you’ll get to hear and speak again, so cherish those, too”

Donghyuck was struggling to see his lips due to the strong wind but Taeyong tilted his face upwards so they were making eye contact. He didn’t need to know what he was saying. He just needed to focud on the fact that they were together.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t be a better, hyung, letting you get hurt. If we become brothers in the next life, I’ll protect you with my heart and soul. I love you so much, Hyuckie. I love y-

_I love you too, hyung_

**2013**

_Tap Tap Tap_

Huh?

_Tap Tap Tap_

Taeyong turned around to see one of the boys who were waiting outside the audition rooms tapping his feet against the floor very quickly. The boy sat at the edge of his seat, hands straight at his sides and pushing at the base.

“You here to audition?” Taeyong asked, watching the boy whip his head sideways so hard, Taeyong was worried he might have snapped it. The boy nodded vigorously biting his lower lip and swinging his legs. Taeyong looked at the bottle he held in his hand, before glancing back at the boy.

“Here” he said, offering the bottle which the boy took quickly, turning a light shade of red from embarrassment “You’re gonna do fine. I’m sure you’ll do well”

“Really?”

The boys’ voice was high pitched, making his eyebrows raise involuntarily. Something in his gut told him that the boy was going to be different from the many people who came weekly to audition. And for some reason, his heart told him that he belonged with him.

“Yeah…sorry but, what’s your name?”

“Donghyuck. Lee Donghyuck.”

"Taeyongie~ Let's go!"

"Oh yeah, wait...hang on, I'm coming!"

_END_

* * *

_**That's the end of this fic!** _

_**Wow...I really can't believe this fic was supposed to be abandoned. Now...just like that, it's finished.** _

_**Thank you so much to everyone who supported this fic, the ones who commented on the chapters and gave me the will to write all of this out. Hopefully, I can blossom as a better writer in the future and write better stories for all of you to read.** _

_**Maybe one day I'll come back to this fic and tell myself that I could've written it better. I know I have lots to improve, and sorry if this story was not that satisfactory for you. Thank you also to the silent readers, the ones that read through my imagination and decided it was worth reading.** _

_**I can answer you questions of you have any, and do support the NCT units in the future. I guess this is the last chapter for this fic and again I thank everyone who read this. Wish you well in the future!** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -END-


	16. Alternate Ending

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You didn't see this one coming, did you? :) Enjoy!!!

“Do you think...souls could be intertwined?”

Donghyuck looked up from burying his head in the latest comic he had indulged in, pulling off his headphones that blasted nothing. It was a strange habit of his. For some reason, he found himself liking the silence that came from the sound-blocking headphones, how people wouldn’t disturb him and it would just be him and his breathing.

Mark was an exception though.

“I don’t know what you expect, Mark,” came the answer, spoken softly as the calm silence of night filled the space between them. “How much more could a soul be closer than when love blossoms in between?”

The statement made the side of Mark’s lips curl up in a knowing smile. His roommate had always been the type to talk as if quoting straight from a book, courtesy from the hours he would spend with his arm pressed against his eyes, back flat against the mattress as he listened to audio books for hours.

It made Mark all the more curious.

“You’ve read a lot of tropes about…sci-fi. Last week our philosophy class talked about parallel worlds that might stem from different timelines.”

Donghyuck sat up, peering at him curiously as if inspecting him for the first time, “Butterfly effect, you mean? I’ve always been interested ever since I read about the space-time theory. You called me an Underage Conspirer when I mentioned it. Thinking twice, are you?”

“Not likely, Hyuck,” he chuckled, slipping onto Donghyuck’s bed and making it dip with his weight. “I just…thought about the possibility of our memories bearing ones we could have had before. _Remember when we first met_?”

The last sentence was spoken in a whisper, like a secret they shared with one another. Grinning, the younger among the two reached over to scoop up Mark’s basketball before throwing it at the light switch, effectively turning it off. The darkness made their skin crawl but it was short lived as Mark switched on the orange desk light, making their surrounding all the more eerie.

Donghyuck pulled his thin blanket over their heads, turning own his phone to illuminate the space between them. It was during those short magical nights that Donghyuck felt the most comfortable in his skin, as if the fact that he had experienced déjà vu over and over throughout his life was a norm.

“The day we met was magical…as if someone had filled my soul with warm wine and cured the chills on my skin,” the boy spoke softly. Mark had heard it dozens of times with so many other metaphors but he loved each and every one of them. “We were only six, could you imagine?”

Mark could, very clearly.

He remembered timid eyes peering at him as the younger between them hung upside down from a tree branch, his dark hair curly and face round. But most of all, he remembered the humming that he had followed, the tune Donghyuck had produced between sealed lips.

The moment they had met each other’s eyes, Donghyuck had spoken first in a curious lisp.

“We’ve met, haven’t we?”

But they hadn’t, yet his tongue felt heavy as he began to speak words of denial –the way it did when he was about to tell a lie. So instead, he had nodded and helped Hyuck back onto the branch, letting the latter pull him up and they had talked.

Mainly about a land of golden sun which Donghyuck had dreamed about recently, and also running. Mark loved running.

“Hyung would be endeared if he saw us like this,” Mark smiled, tugging at the edges of the blanket. “Even after thirteen years.”

“He would be too caught up in his own antics to care!” Donghyuck giggled, swiping the screen of his phone to open the Youtube app. “You know how he is when it comes to him and his friends.”

“Just like us, perhaps worse?”

“Exactly”

-

“Disastrous!” Taeyong crowed, pulling apart the pastel purple ribbon that held together the bouquet of flowers in his hand, stalks falling onto the pristine white marble counter, “This will never work out!”

“What won’t work out?” a voice called about just as the bell that hung above the door rang. A man in his late 20s entered, eyes bright as he attempted to detach two squealing children who were hanging from his neck.

At the sight of Moon Taeil, Taeyong perked up, snatching the already made bouquet of flowers he had prepared early. The customer gently peeled off his children, letting them squat by the row of sunflowers and coo at their colours.

“Not here to deliver mail, I see,” Taeyong chuckled before reaching out to take the money Taeil had placed on the counter. “The children are as active as ever!”

“That’s what you get when you devour the chocolate cake at 8am,” the elder replied, taking the wrapped bouquet before inhaling the scent, a smile etching itself on his lips. “Also, what has you in a tangle?”

Eyes downcast, Taeyong reached over to take the flowers he had spent hours rearranging. “It’s for Jaehyun’s best friend. Apparently his pen pal is coming over from China with his family and he wants the flowers to feel…symbolic and homey?”

The statement made Taeil splutter, his coarse hand petting the flowers lovingly. “I’m sure he’ll love them anyway, Taeyong. In fact, there would probably be more problems if you don’t finish up quickly.”

“True,” Taeyong conceded, his fingers masterfully spiralling the flowers back into place, eyes firm with determination. “You should worry about your children over there. They might end up eating the suns.”

He muffled a giggle as Taeil yelped, pulling Jisung and Chenle into his arms before setting them on the counter to let them watch Taeyong work his magic. Chubby fingers reached out to grab onto the stalks but were quick to wrap around strawberry lollipops Taeil quickly placed in their palms. It was endearing how well Taeil managed his two little tornado’s and how much he had become accustomed to their antics.

It made Taeyong’s heart swell with yearning.

At the sound of the bell, they looked up to see a haggard young man stumbling in with a billowing brown coat and muffler, his hair a bird’s nest yet eyes so wide and bright that it made his appearance look strangely fashionable.

“Right on time, Jae!” Taeyong called over, tip toing slightly to peer through the glass door where Jaehyun’s six seater car waited. “Heavy load?”

“Even more so,” Jaehyun sighed in response, leaning against the counter, panting. “Heard that your brother and mine wants to come along to greet the family, and guess who they’re bringing with them.”

“The quadruplets,” both said at the same time, sharing a knowing smile.

“Yeah, and I can’t believe Mr Na is even letting them go along!” Jaehyun raked a hand through his hair. “I could probably handle Jaemin, Jeno, Renjun and even Yang Yang in the car, but add Hyuck and Mark to that and there’s a higher possibility for me to crash than get to the hospital on time!”

“That’s college kids for you,”Taeyong shrugged, passing over the newly decorated bouquet to Jaehyun, “Did what I could, but I’m not sure –“

“It looks beautiful!” Jaehyun cried, raising the bouquet like Simba, inspecting it under the bright light of the flower shop. “Yongie, you’re a godsend!”

As the florist spluttered a barely audible “no problem”, Taeil was glancing between them with the most foolish grin on his face. Apparently, the two toddlers had caught on and were also giggling and waving their little hands at the two.

“Ahem,” Taeil interrupted, pulling the attention towards him. “I heard you’re going to the hospital?”

Jaehyun cleared his throat, looking over at the red faced florist who was trying to hide behind the counter. “Uh, yeah. He wants to bring along his brother, so we have to make a stop at the hospital. Fitting in a wheelchair will take up room but –“

“Then I’ll go and pick up the kids. My van is big enough to fit in the rowdy college teens, and besides, I’m expecting someone from the airport, too,” Taeil grinned, gesturing towards the flowers. “My brother, Lucas has an exchange student program, and we’re expecting two new arrivals! In fact, I think him and his roommate, Jungwoo, are already there since an hour ago.”

“What a coincidence!” Taeyong laughed, reaching out to take his bag, “Then I think we can pick them up now? Jaehyun, would you be a darling and help me close the shop?”

“Sure, love!”

The two children and their father watching the exchange with similar fond looks before Taeil reached out to boop their noses, collecting them in his arms with a grunt. “You little munchkins have to find someone that will make you as happy as them, okay? Make me jealous.”

Chenle let out a garbled cry of agreement, sticking his lollipop into Taeil’s mouth which prompted Jisung to do the same. Taeil chuckled warmly, blowing raspberries into their cheeks before heading out to get the car.

-

“The weather is a little chilly, isn’t it?” Johnny commented, tucking the blanket around Doyoung’s neck, careful to avoid the portable ventilator attached to his throat. “The nurses are giving me looks. Can’t have that, can we?”

A small grateful smile appeared on the younger boys face as his eyes travelled on his brother who was still fretting over his baby blue blanket. Johnny had always been quite the mother hen, as clumsy as he was. Just as he considered re-entering the hospital, a familiar black car pulled up and the door was slid open.

Jaehyun grinned, pushing himself out of the driver’s seat to embrace his best friend with a warm hug. “Good to see you, bro!”

“Back at you!”

Jaehyun’s eyes wandered to Doyoung who was looking at him with a warm gaze. He had heard of the male from Johnny countless of times, yet none of the descriptions could ever truly come close to the quite beauty the other possessed, even while being bound to a wheelchair and ventilator.

“Nice to meet you, I’m Jaehyun that Johnny had probably talked about behind my back”

He held Doyoung’s hands from under the blanket and shook them firmly. The bang of a door made him turn around to see Taeyong pulling out the ramp to help Johnny push Doyoung up to the car. Strange, considering it was the first time both of them even met Doyoung.

“Easy does it,” Johnny groaned as he pushed the last burst of energy to keep Doyoung’s wheelchair intact on the car. “I’ll be driving, okay bub? Jaehyun and Taeyong will take care of you at the back.”

A slight nod made Johnny beam with pride, and they no later found themselves on the highway, vibing to country music that blasted from the radio. When Johnny looked through the back mirror, he could see Taeyong scrolling through his gallery to show Doyoung what his brother had been up to. It had been a while since Johnny had seen Doyoung smile so widely.

“You’re smiling more around them than with me!” Johnny sulked playfully, pouting. “This isn’t fair!”

“What else can I say, Johnnyboy?” came the amused reply as Taeyong carefully pulled the black strands of hair away from Doyoung’s eyes. “It’s like I can read his mind!”

-

“Ow, GEGE!”

“You’re the one who started it, don’t go blaming me!”

“GEGE HELP!”

Kun clenched his fist as he dragged the suitcases (yes, it’s plural) down the hallway. Not only were the two twins currently spiking his blood pressure, but the main reason they were even there had bounded forward without them.

“Hendery, Xiaojun love, please help me get the bags over on that side?” Kun almost pleaded, jerking his chin towards the luggage pick up station. He heaved a sigh of relief as the two ran off, their hands holding each other’s tightly as they squeezed through the gathering of people.

One problem solved, now he needed to focus on the most important issue.

The phone rang twice before it picked up, the cheery voice of the second son in his packed family almost screaming through the speaker.

 _“GEGE, I THINK I FOUND THEM!”_ Ten squealed, and the imagery of the younger boy hopping up and down appeared in his head. _“Ohhh, there’s so many people waiting!”_

“Calm down, Didi” he scolded softly as he tried to look over the hunched shoulders in hopes to catch a glimpse of the young twins currently hidden among them. “Do you even _know_ which one is your Johnny?”

_“He’s almost 2 feet tall, gege!”_

"GEGE WE FOUND THEM!” Xiaojun called with the widest smile on his face, pulling along a gigantic luggage bag –probably filled with more shoes than clothes –with Hendery behind him, sporting a travelling bag. He had warned them not to pack so impulsively. “I think Kunhang faceplanted into someone’s armpit!”

“Keep your voice down!” Kun hissed, dragging them along as Ten screamed the directions to where he was. Soon enough, they had made their way outside, and he had to pause in his steps to take in the sheer amount of people behind the banner that read “WELCOME TO KOREA TEN!”.

The first person he laid his eyes on was Johnny who was now lifting Ten and swinging him in circles, rapid Korean streaming from his lips. Thank God they were all enrolled into Korean Language classes.

“You arrived safely?” a man questioned, his hair alight blond and fell silkily into his eyes. He smelled of flora as he passed a bouquet of flowers to him. “Sorry, Johnny’s too distracted to give them himself so –“

He was cut off by a high pitched yell as two younger boys came running up to his two younger brothers, kindly taking their bags and switching from Mandarin to Korean as they talked to them. Kun looked over at the man in front of his in wonder.

“The quadruplets are two pairs of twins from different mothers. One of them was Chinese, so they’re fluent.” As if realizing he was ranting, he perked up. “Oh wait, hi, I’m Taeyong. I friend of Johnny’s!”

“I’m Kun, Ten’s elder brother…currently playing babysitter.”

Taeyong was quick to introduce the rest to him. The four siblings who were now talking animatedly with his brothers were Yang Yang, Renjun, Jaemin and Jeno. Two young boys who were stuck close to each other were Donghyuck and Mark, looking at them in confusion as Renjun translated their conversation –although Kun was sure it was unneeded since they all could speak Korean, but the boys were enjoying themselves.

Jaehyun was the one holding the handles of the wheelchair a boy named Doyoung sat in, his eyes filled with enough emotion to cater to is inability to speak with the ventilator in. Kun found himself taking Jaehyun’s place as they followed Johnny to one of the restaurants, chatting between the florist –explained the scent –and the dimpled man while pushing Doyoung along the way.

Korea was starting to feel like home already.

-

“You look terribly awkward,” Taeil commented as Jungwoo lifted Jisung by the armpits, swinging him from side to side. “Go and communicate with the newcomers!”

“I don’t even take Chinese classes!” He muttered shyly, crouching down to let Chenle hop onto his back before standing again with a groan. “I take Japanese ones!”

Taeil raised his eyebrows questioningly, gesturing towards one of the two exchange students who sported a mullet and wide eyes as he followed Lucas’s excessive gestures and explanations. “Isn’t that guy Japanese? Why not try out?”

“Oh, he is?!” the latter yelped causing Jisung and Chenle to slide to the floor and run away. “Oh, sorry!”

“Nevermind, just go and interact darling!” Taeil smiled before running off.

Thank goodness he had those squeaky shoes worn on the two hyperactive toddlers, easily navigating around the people who looked at him with sympathetic eyes. His efforts were halted as he was met with a very familiar face lifting up his children, casting him an amused smile.

“Taeyong, you’ve saved me again!” Taeil cheered, jogging up to them. “I believe this is your arrival?”

The Chinese had an open face, warm and slightly frustrated as he casted nervous glance towards a group of teens heading towards a chocolate shop. “Kun, and yes, I’m new here.”

“HYUNG, IS THAT TAEYONG HYUNG I SEE?!”

Taeil flinched as Lucas’s voice soared from afar, a pattering of feet indicating that his younger brother and his friends had come over. The sudden yell, however, attracted the attention of the other groups and they stopped in their tracks.

“Hyung, I was wondering where you went!” Lucas said, halting in his steps and flushing red when he realized the attention was on him. Jungwoo let out a small squeak, hiding behind Lucas and prompting Sicheng and Yuta to nervously do the same. “My voice was too loud, wasn’t it?”

“Nonsense!” Johnny cackled, slapping Jaehyun’s back jokingly –the man almost choking on his own sit –before pulling Ten towards a large sign at the front of the entrance. “Let’s take a photo together!”

The random suggestion –strangely enough –was not countered or objected by anyone. It sent Kun running to get the teens (who came back with half a dozen plastic bags much to Taeyong’s dismay) and Ten, being the photography major he was, organizing their places in a very professional manner.

Taeil, while holding both his drooling children in his arms, felt a strange sort of fluffy feeling in his head, almost like déjà vu. He had felt it before, the feeling that was accompanied by an imagery of swirling colours at the back of his mind.

Weird.

“Papa?” Jisung babbled, making him almost jump in shock. “Hmmmm?”

He looked at Jisung for a very long time, the slightly slanted eyes and the small nose, the moist lips and faint blush across his cheek. He had seen it before, perhaps ages ago. Or perhaps not and he was going bonkers from the three cups of coffee he had inhaled that morning.

“We need a photographer!” Ten yelled, looking around widely before running up to a lean man wearing expensive brands and sunglasses. However, any split second arrogance was quickly replaced by kindness as he pulled his shades off, positioning himself to take the picture with a wide smile.

“Uh…mister…what do I call you?” Ten asked, scratching the back of his head.

The man lowered the camera to send him a knowing glance. “Just call me Hansol.”

“Oh, right! Hansol, did you turn on the flash?”

Ten detached himself from the group to help with the camera settings, and Taeil once again felt the same fuzziness of a distant memory.

“Have we met him before?” Mark wondered aloud, casting a glance at Donghyuck who shared a very mysterious look, his eyes glinting under the white lights of the airport.

“Almost like magic,” the young boy replied.

“Okay, we’re set!” Hansol called, making a thumbs up as Ten returned to his place. “Everybody smile! Big grins, that’s it! Say Kimchi in –

_3…_

_2…_

_1…_

**“KIMCHI!!!”**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you enjoyed the alternate ending, perhaps to calm your minds a little. Did you hear about NCT 2020? It's finally happening (hopefully) and I'm really excited! Hope to see you more in the future!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! Be sure to leave kudo's and comments! I enjoy reading comments and they give me the will to write more. Stay healthy and sorry if this fic didn't meet your expectations!
> 
>   
> [twt](https://twitter.com/Skydancer_8?s=09) | [CC](https://curiouscat.me/Skydancer_8)


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